Manchester United interim head coach Ralf Rangnick has insisted that the players at the club should not be struggling for motivation.
The Red Devils have only picked up one point from their last two Premier League matches, drawing with Leicester City before losing to Everton last weekend, which has left them down in seventh spot in the table, six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Rangnick has admitted that "confidence" has been a problem for the players in recent weeks, while the German also suggested that motivation was an issue.
"Again, it shouldn't be a problem at a club like Manchester United. The players who play for Manchester United should always have an eternal level of motivation, but, yes, if I look at the Everton game, until that first deflected shot on our goal we were in control of the game," Rangnick told reporters.
"I'm not saying that we played extremely well but we controlled the game, from the sideline, I always had the feeling that they felt shaky. At that time had we scored ourselves it would have been different, but we didn't. With the first shot on goal, we conceded the goal ourselves and from then on it changed the atmosphere in the stadium, and it also changed our own energy level in our team and this should not happen.
"Even if you concede a goal, a deflected shot, in football, and that can happen, we should still be aware that we are the better team and we can dominate the game, but it wasn't the case, it's got to do probably with confidence, whatever, you may call it motivation, but it's definitely affected our level of confidence at that point."
Man United will be bidding to return to winning ways in the Premier League when they host basement side Norwich City on Saturday afternoon.