Louis van Gaal denied that Manchester United's players have an attitude problem after their humiliating Europa league defeat to FC Midtjylland on Thursday.
Van Gaal is under even more pressure after the 2-1 defeat, with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward having been at the game and seen United lose a 1-0 lead to the minnows.
Midtjylland finished the game as the stronger side against dispirited visitors, but Van Gaal said: "It's nothing to do with attitude.
"All the players want to perform in an excellent way. It is not a case of attitude. We were not winning the second balls -- that is my analysis."
Former Netherlands head coach Van Gaal has repeatedly blamed a lengthy injury list for his team's struggles and did so again after defeat in Denmark.
Goalkeeper David De Gea was the latest to join the casualty list, hurting a knee in the warm-up and due to undergo scans on Friday.
Van Gaal said: "When you have such a list of injured players and a few minutes before the game we can add another player to it, it is difficult to cope.
"I have to make another lineup every week more or less, so that isn't contributing to much more confidence. So we are in a difficult situation."
Midtjylland head coach Jess Thorup warned United that his side "are not here to just enjoy the moment -- we are here to try to get through the next round."
He added: "Maybe we were the only ones beforehand who believed we could get through, but I think we have showed everybody we have a chance."