Barnsley manager threatens to ‘give my players a slap’ if they ever question Premier League stars after 7-0 hammering at Man United, as he tells them they are ‘miles off’ and were ‘absolutely destroyed’

Barnsley manager Darrell Clarke threatened to punch his players on Tuesday night after watching them being thrashed 7-0 by Manchester United in the Carabao Cup.

United beat the League One side at Old Trafford thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Christian Eriksen and a penalty from Antony.

It was a tense night for Barnsley, who had admirably beaten Wigan and Sheffield United to reach the third round, against a volatile United side, then worth around £500m.

“If I ever hear my players say to me that the Premier League players are bad I will punch them because we were miles away from a team that can completely destroy you if you don’t look after them,” Clarke growled at Sky Sport after the punishment.

“They are a quality team but we are very disappointed with our performance. We did not do ourselves justice. That was my fear tonight when I came here.

‘A lot of our players had an off day. Maybe one player, Mael (de Gevigney), comes out of the game with credit, but not for us.

‘I know it’s a special occasion against a very, very good team. I get that. And they go all out against Premier League teams, but it’s a massive wake-up call for me and the players to realise what it takes to be a player.

Erik ten Hag’s team bombarded the Tykes with 26 shots and kept them under control to the point that the opposition was unable to get a single shot on target.

The evening marked another step in the right direction for Rashford, who opened his start to the season with a goal – his first in six months – in the 3-0 win over Southampton on Saturday.

For Ten Hag, the defeat is a sign of relief after a turbulent start to the season and he can briefly look forward to two victories in a row.

Barnsley boss Clarke added: ‘I attacked them. I wasn’t happy with their performance.

“I know we arrived at Man Utd, who have world-class players, but I wasn’t happy with how we played. Did the occasion affect some of them? Yeah, probably.

‘The players tonight were miles away from the level of a top Barnsley player, let alone a top Premier League player.

“It was a night I was proud of, but the performance ruined it.”

It was no surprise that Ten Hag was pleased, but he did not want to rush into an away game against Crystal Palace, where they lost 4-0 last season.

“For the team, it’s the perfect night,” he said. “I wasn’t devastated by Liverpool and I’m not celebrating now.

“It was a brilliant goal,” Ten Hag said of Rashford’s first. “In my first season he had his fighting spirit, his good mood. When I see Marcus Rashford’s teeth I’m confident he’s going to score.

“They are very hungry but they pass the ball to each other,” the United manager added. “They give assists and when Antony needs a bit of confidence, Rashy gives him the penalty, which is good in a team.”

Ten Hag did what he said he would and rotated his squad, meaning the £50.5million Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer, who played left-back and left his mark on Barry Cotter, were given full debuts.

The combative Ugarte also showed his muscles, although there was a bit of a scare towards the end of the first half when Luca Connell made a badly timed foul. The Uruguayan had to be treated for a bruised right foot and a bleeding knee.