Ten Hag vows to put Man Utd back on their perch as he makes "unacceptable" claim

Erik ten Hag remains convinced he will make Manchester United great again - despite their shocking start to life under him.

Defeats in Ten Hag's first two games - 2-1 at home to Brighton and a 4-0 mauling at Brentford - have left United bottom of the Premier League. The situation could get even worse for Ten Hag tonight, with United hosting arch rivals Liverpool, who blitzed them 5-0 at Old Trafford last season.

But Ten Hag is refusing to feel sorry for himself and claimed he knew the scale of the task he faced when he decided to accept the United job. Although United's shambolic start has shocked the football world, Ten Hag said he knew it could happen and shows what a huge rebuild he faces.

Asked how tough United's poor start had been for him personally, Ten Hag said: "For me personally, that's never the issue. I'm not here for myself, I'm here for the club and to restore the club. I knew before this was a challenge and I wanted this challenge. I knew before it was going to be hard, but I wanted that because in my career, everywhere I started, the start was difficult, but I got it done, and I'm convinced I'll get it done here as well.

"Therefore, I chose this project, I knew it was a process and I will stay consistent to the philosophy and to the plan we had. I have confidence in the co-operation I have in the players and also the team around - the coaches and the directors."

Ten Hag has taken a hard line with his United players after their two defeats, hauling them in for training the day after the Brentford debacle and warning them he has no time for their lame excuses.

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"I'm not interested in the reason why - they just have to deliver," said Ten Hag. "That's my obligation and theirs. We are in a process. Sometimes you have a drop and you tell them, you face them, and say 'that's unacceptable'. I think every manager will demand it from his players and it's normal. It's your obligation to the club to fight and give 100 percent. In every process, this element is coming up. One of the points as a manager is that you have to work on the attitude and mentality of the players.

"That's what I'm doing. This is the first time since June 27 that I wasn't happy and not satisfied and I told them. You have to bring at least the same as the opponent but, when I say at least, we have to do more than the opponent, in and out of possession." New arrival Casmerio, signed from Real Madrid for £68million, will undoubtedly improve United, but the team are already playing catch-up, with Ten Hag bemoaning such a poor start to the season.

"We had a good basic pre-season," said Ten Hag. "Then Anthony Martial was injured, Ronaldo wasn't fit, the six holding midfield position was not there. "In the first game we had two centre-halves who have not played together and also the goalie was not the best period. So there's a clear reason why, but I know we will fix that and also that the results will be better. That showed already in pre-season. Pre-season we did quite well, but the first two league games were not good enough, that's clear."