By Daniel Orme
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag criticised his players for 'forgetting' to press in the build-up to Fulham's dramatic Old Trafford winner.
The Red Devils endured a miserable afternoon after toiling for the majority of the afternoon against Marco Silva's side. Calvin Bassey gave Fulham a deserved lead, only for Harry Maguire to score a late equaliser.
Man United actually looked the most likely to find the winner before Iwobi's late sucker punch. And Ten Hag was left angry with his side and how they defended late on, although did think a defeat was underserved.
Asked by beIN Sport if his side deserved more, he replied: "I think so. Again, we had a lot of setbacks, we dealt with it. The team showed big character.
"We turned in the game and then we had big chances on the wing. At last, we lose the game with one loose moment. We forgot to press when the ball was in the corner for the throw-in and that had big consequences.
"I think it is bad positioning. We should push each other more. This can't happen when an opponent has a throw-in in the corner. We should close them down and not allow them to break.
"There's only one player and we have to make sure the player is in the right position and that is the team. The team has to make sure the positions are good and for the detail, we get punished."
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The defeat, the Red Devils' tenth in the Premier League so far this season, leaves their top-four hopes fading. Ten Hag's side remain in sixth and eight points behind Aston Villa - who defeated Nottingham Forest 4-2 at Villa Park.
Their task of claiming a spot in the Champions League is now a huge mountain to climb, especially given the injuries stacking up against Ten Hag's side. The Red Devils lost in-form forward Rasmus Hojlund just 24 hours before the game.
Asked if his absence contributed to the defeat, Ten Hag said: "It’s not only Rasmus, it’s Luke Shaw, it’s Casemiro who fell out after the break. It’s a lot to change in the team and of course, there are consequences and we don’t play in the same level as the last few weeks."
The Red Devils now take a break from their Premier League commitments with a midweek FA Cup clash against Nottingham Forest. They then face rivals Manchester City at the weekend.
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