Ten Hag also defended his policy of bringing many players from the Dutch league to the Premier League, saying: “First, the players we signed with from the Netherlands are international.”

And he added: “Secondly, they did really well in the Champions League, and thirdly, they also have individual skills that show that they are capable of playing football at the highest level.”

“Martinez is a good player with the ball, but you also see his defensive capabilities, his toughness, his positioning, and his expectation,” the Dutch coach added.

He concluded: “I know what he (Martinez) can do for us. He is doing well but he has to do much better.”