'Fighting spirit is very good.. we are on the way up'

TEN HAG STAYS POSITIVE DESPITE NATURE OF DEFEAT AS HE EXPLAINS DERBY SELECTION DECISIONS

- SAMUEL LUCKHURST

ERIK ten Hag stubbornly stood by his contentious decision not to start Raphael Varane in the demoralising 3-0 defeat by Manchester City.

Ten Hag benched Varane in favour of the 35-year-old Jonny Evans but Erling Haaland scored twice and Phil Foden rounded off the scoring to inflict a fifth Premier League defeat on United in 10 games this season.

Evans and Harry Maguire, the starting centre-halves under Claude Puel at Leicester City five years ago, were a mismatch against Premier League top scorer Haaland, who has scored as many goals by himself - 11 - as United in the league this season.

Varane, 30, was instrumental in United's only derby victory in their last six but he was unused and Ten Hag maintained the selection of Evans was vindicated.

"They played very well, I think, the centre," Ten Hag explained. "With Onana they played a very good game. Just what I expected.

"You know there will come pressures and no one can actually be surprised. I said it from the beginning, I need the players on the left side who can make angles and also to step in and, especially against City, with the side they press us you have to step in to get the press on them and I think they did this very well."

Ten Hag bristled when he was asked to explain the tactical thinking behind Varane's demotion.

He said: "When you face City, they will go up to press and then to play with Rapha and Maguire over the left, that can give problems and then you end up only kicking long balls.