ERIK TEN HAG hammered his Manchester United team as they began their pre-season with defeat in Norway.

Despite it only being a friendly in which he made 11 outfield changes at half-time, he said it was “not good enough” as the Red Devils went down to an injury time goal.

Marcus Rashford was in action for Man Utd against Rosenborg tonight

He was unable to find a breakthrough as he got 45 minutes under his belt

Erik ten Hag suffered defeat in Utd’s first pre-season game

Goalkeeper Radek Vitek was the best performer for the Red Devils

It was an understrength squad but big names like Marcus Rashford, Aaran Wan-Bissaka, Jonny Evans, Casemiro, Mason Mount took part in the first half.

And tough taskmaster Ten Hag, who has stayed on as United boss despite the threat of the axe was not happy.

He fumed: “The performance is below standard.

“It is by far not good enough. It is not the standard for top football.

“I know we cannot be match fit at this stage and we played an opponent with much higher fitness levels, still we are Manchester United and players from Manchester United should play better.”

He scored three in the last World Cup as Gareth Southgate guided the side to the quarter-finals. He was very much part of it all then too

In fact he had been pretty much part of the story under Southgate from the start, including that World Cup journey to the last four in 2018.

You don’t earn 60 caps and score 17 goals without being part of it all.

Not now, when at 26 years old he should be at his peak.

Not since last March in fact and the 1-0 defeat at home to Brazil.

Instead he was here playing to a backdrop of near silence in a mindnumbing pre-season game, from which goalie Radek Vitek emerged as the player of the match, that clearly did not impress the boss.

The performance was indicative of many from Rashford last season, even if it was the first in pre-season.

But he really needs to do something in United’s summer build-up, which goes to the USA next week after a match against Rangers at Hampden next Saturday.

In 2022-23 he posted season best figures of 30 goals, then it all went, as it can so quickly in football if a young player loses focus as he did last season.

He fell out with the manager and out of the team.

Mason Mount got 45 minutes of action under his belt in Norway

Off-field nights out coupled with on field performances at odds with his previous campaign saw the slide last season with club and country.

Mason Mount’s only reason for being benched throughout the previous season’s games was an ailment.

Perhaps the conditions and caliber of this match brought it home for even these veteran players—Casemiro included—who are no longer with Brazil after their time at the Copa America.

He was the subject of a studs up challenge from Tomas Nemcik which should have seen red in the first half but is ok.

Ten Hag said: “There were so many bad tackles in the first-half.”

Already, he’s not happy.