LONDON: Eric On Hag admits Manchester United got away with it after their FA Cup semi-final penalty shootout win over Coventry on Sunday.
The Premier League side won at Wembley after the match finished 3-3 after extra time, with Rasmus Hojlund scoring the crucial goal.
United won 4-2 on penalties against the Championship side, but after a chaotic second half they went 3-0 up.
This is the latest chapter in a torrid campaign for the club, which is in danger of missing out on a place in Europe next season.
In the last week they have made a dangerous habit of throwing away the winning position, taking too many chances and returning to their bad habits against the 1987 FA Cup winners.
“We suffered, we degraded each other and we let the results slip away. But today we survived,” ten Hag told reporters.
But the Dutch manager insisted that Sunday’s result was a positive achievement for the club and put an end to any shame in the winning style.
“I see our mistake. We can’t get away from it. But it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Now we’ve made it twice in two years. So that’s a big achievement.
“But of course, when you’re 3-0 down, controlling the game so much, dominating the game so much, you have to finish it and we didn’t do it well.”
The United boss under pressure praised his side’s character in the shootout as a “good sign” but said the collapse during the game was “absolutely unnecessary”.
Asked about morale in the dressing room, Ten Hag said there were “mixed feelings”.
