THE CARABAO CUP TRIUMPH was supposed to be a springboard to greater things for Manchester United.
Unfortunately, it has proved quite the opposite.
From a win ratio for manager Erik ten Hag of 69 per cent when they beat Newcastle United at Wembley last February, they have dropped off to 50 per cent with 16 wins from 32.
So did some believe the job had been done with that first trophy in six years?
Ten Hag said: “It's a fact. We have dropped levels and we need to fight against that.
“We have to get back to those levels and there are reasons for it but still it's not acceptable and we have to fight against it."
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United face Brentford at Old Trafford on the back of five defeats in seven games in all competitions.
So what do they have to do to get out of this slump that has left them tenth in the league and in danger of dropping out the Champions League at the group stage?
Ten Hag said: “Every team we put out has to be on one page.
“They have a good foundation in the way they play, keep the foundation, support each other and we will do better.
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“Consistency, that is the problem we are struggling with.
“In big parts of the game, we do a lot of things right but then there are moments where we are struggling and in such moments we can't survive.
“In this moment, you have to do the right things, so be consistent and do the job, be consistent in the communication and when you do that you keep the right organisation and do it like before.”
Ten Hag has seen his side switch off too many times after scoring while heads can go down after they have conceded.
He said: “Definitely, you can mark such a moment as when we score a goal or concede a goal and when decisive moments go against us, we lose a bit as a team.
“Over big parts in 95 per cent of the game, we are a team, so we have to keep going all the way through and we have to step up.”
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