The way for Manchester United to weather their current storm is to stick together, beleaguered manager Erik ten Hag said after his side were knocked out of the League Cup by Newcastle United in a last-16 clash on Wednesday.

“That is the only way, stick together,” said the Dutch manager, who is under intense pressure after one of the club’s worst starts to a season in decades. “But you have to be disciplined and you have to do it together, everyone has to take responsibility, be accountable and cooperate.”

Eddie Howe’s Magpies avenged last season’s loss to Manchester United in the League Cup final with a 3-0 victory.

They played with more urgency and made Ten Hag’s side look discombobulated and disinterested, and the reeling Old Trafford crowd booed the home team off the pitch at the final whistle. Miguel Almiron, Lewis Hall and Joe Willock were the scorers.

“You get confidence when you get the right results, and it’s only possible when you are following the rules, following the principles, be in the game, winning your battles, coming through the fight, but especially do it together, you have to do it as a team,” Ten Hag stressed.

Manchester United have lost five of their first 10 home games in all competitions for the first time since 1930-31. They are eighth in the Premier League after losing five of their first 10 Premier League games for the first time ever.

Asked whether Manchester United’s players have the necessary character to get through this rough stretch, Ten Hag said: “I am confident that players will stand up and stick together. This is not good enough. I am responsible for this. We have to stand up together.”

Wednesday’s lacklustre performance came on the heels of a similarly ugly showing on Sunday, when Manchester City throttled them 3-0 in the derby at Old Trafford.

“It’s not up to the manager to motivate the players, you’ve got to motivate yourself,” former United captain Roy Keane said on Sky Sports.

“You’ve got to be up for every game, and the fact (Ten Hag) has got to discuss it after the game about his players not being up for a game of football, he must be hugely embarrassed.

“Even the point that we’re talking about Man United trying to finish fourth tells you how the standards have dropped at Man United over the last few years, both on and off the pitch,” he added.

Ten Hag said United needed to immediately up their game.

“We have to recover from it,” he said.

“We have to do it quickly. Saturday (versus Fulham) is the next game. We have to raise our standards. This is not good enough.

“We have a night sleep and then we will pick the team and the tactics. Most importantly, the mentality is where we have to prepare.”

Ten Hag came under more pressure on Thursday with the media headlines highlighting their plight.

“Ten Hag’s total humiliation, United manager facing serious questions after cup horror show” was The Daily Telegraph’s headline. The Star chimed in with: “Hag ‘N Daze, Erik’s sorry troops are given another big lickin’”

Newcastle’s Miguel Almiron, Lewis Hall and Joe Willock scored for Eddie Howe’s visiting Magpies to “turn the heat on Ten Hag’s shambolic Reds,” wrote the Daily Express.

The Daily Mail headline read: “Writing’s On The Wall, Ten Hag fights for his future as abysmal United crash out of Cup.”

Nine-time winners Liverpool will play West Ham United at home in the League Cup quarter-finals after the Reds knocked out Bournemouth and the Hammers eliminated Arsenal in last-16 matches on Wednesday.

The quarter-final draw also pitted Newcastle, who dispatched defending champions Manchester United, against Chelsea, while Everton will play Fulham.

There is guaranteed to be an EFL club in the semis with League One Port Vale taking on Championship side Middlesbrough.

The quarter-final ties will be played in the week of Dec. 18.