Tielemans says Man United can ‘play much better’ after derby day defeat
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Youri Tielemans of Manchester United walks off after the Premier League 2026/27 match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on September 13, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Zohaib Alam/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Youri Tielemans talked about a 1-0 defeat for Manchester United on derby day.
The Belgian was signed from Aston Villa for £35 million in July, incapable of resisting the attraction of a transfer to a top team that had just finished in third position in the Premier League. Kobbie Mainoo, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba are also in the mix as part of a talented midfield unit on paper, but Michael Carrick has not yet managed to get the best out of the group in the new season.
‘We didn't use the right spaces, we made mistakes in our passes’
After partnering with Santos against Hull City on the opening matchday, Tielemans has featured with Mainoo in the middle of the park for the last three fixtures.
He was the sacrificial lamb to allow Bruno Fernandes to stay on the field while Benjamin Sesko stepped into the centre of the attack, but the Red Devils failed to make the most of the man advantage they possessed from the 23rd minute of the match when Phil Foden was sent off for a foul on Fernandes.
"It is disappointing, everyone is disappointed and frustrated because we know we can play much better.
"We want to do things well, but today it did not happen like we wanted.
Embed from Getty Images
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Youri Tielemans of Manchester United in action during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on September 13, 2026 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Youri Tielemans of Manchester United in action during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on September 13, 2026 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Tielemans on United's final-third failings
"We did not use the right spaces, we made mistakes in our passes and maybe rushed it a bit too much. We did not make the right last pass in the final third to create enough chances to score.
"The process is try to get our heads together and react in the next games, that's the only thing we can do. We can analyse this game and see what didn't happen, and do better in the next one."