Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claims his Manchester United squad are "determined" to progress this season, despite dropping another valuable three points away at West Ham.
The Red Devils succumbed to a 2-0 defeat at the London Stadium on Sunday, with Andriy Yarmolenko and Aaron Creswell grabbing the goals for the hosts.
Solskjaer's men struggled to create clear cut chances throughout the match, with their task made even more difficult when Marcus Rashford was forced off through injury midway through the second half.
United have slipped down to eighth in the Premier League table, some 10 points behind leaders Liverpool after just six matches of the 2019-20 campaign.
Former manager Jose Mourinho has been among those to criticise the team in the wake of their latest performance, predicting they will struggle to finish in the top six come next May.
Solskjaer remains defiant in the face of adversity and has jumped to the defence of his squad ahead of a Carabao Cup third-round clash against Rochdale On Wednesday.
“This group, they want to do what we're trying to do, what we're working on in training,” the 46-year-old head coach told a post-match press conference.
“There are key moments in games that can tip it in your favour compared to theirs, like one bad pass, but the attitude and the desire is there. That’s not the problem, it’s the quality of our decision making and sometimes it's the execution.
“Sometimes along the road, you’ll hit some bumps, as we’ve said. Some highs and lows.
“This is a good group [of players] to work with. They’re determined. They showed they wanted to get out [and play].
“It was a good atmosphere in the dressing room and they’ve got the focus right.”
After opening their latest League Cup campaign, United will turn their attention to a huge showdown against Arsenal on September 30.
The Red Devils are currently three points behind their fourth-placed rivals and cannot afford to lose any more ground in the race for the final Champions League spot.
Solskjaer has confirmed that Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood could be welcomed back into the fold this week, with the former close to recovering from injury and the teenage starlet ready to return after a bout of tonsillitis.
