United failed with a bid for the midfielder over the summer, with Hurzeler admitting the attempt has unsettled the youngster this season.
Hurzeler said: "I saw a Carlos Baleba who stepped up.
"These were good actions and good behaviours he showed, but he has to make habits out of those good behaviours. That's the next step in his development, to bring consistency to his performance.
"For me, it's always important that I'm very transparent with the players. I have a very good relationship with Carlos. We speak regularly, we are in touch. I always share my thoughts about his development and my thoughts about his performance.
"It's important to be very clear about what you expect from players on the pitch, off the pitch. And it's important to build relationships where you can criticise or give personal feedback they might not be happy about, but they understand the intention behind it.
"Carlos won't get better if he only gets compliments and claps from outside. I think he will get better if he has a safe environment, but also honest feedback where he knows what he needs to improve. That's where we try to support him and make him better."