Erik ten Hag makes crucial decision to win Manchester United’s FA Cup fifth round tie

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Erik ten Hag is gaining a reputation for changing games with his substitutions, the sign of a savvy manager.

The changes he made against West Ham last night were in part very obvious ones.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to recommend bringing on Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Marcus Rashford to change the team, who needed a jolt.

But that was the easy part. The trickier aspect was working out who should be taken off, and this is where he got it spot on, again.

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Ten Hag’s brave call wins the game

Erik ten Hag had a call to make when he put Marcus Rashford on. Who would he take off?

Most managers would have substituted 18-year-old Alejandro Garnacho, or on loan striker Wout Weghorst.

Ten Hag chose instead to substitute £82 million signing Antony.

It was a brave call from the manager, taking off his most expensive signing, and leaving on a teenager, and a loan striker with just one goal to his name.

Ten Hag demonstrated once again that he just gets it. He won’t make decisions based on price tag or reputation.

Instead he will assess the circumstances, and make his judgements accordingly. His decisions paid off.

Garnacho grew into the game as it went on, with his pace and directness getting in behind the West Ham defence, winning free-kicks, and creating space for his teammates.

He went on to score the crucial winning goal, pouncing just like Antony did a week ago against Barcelona, curling in a mirror image shot at the Stretford End to the Brazilian’s strike.

Ten Hag’s bravery to keep the teenager on the pitch paid off. As did sticking with Wout Weghorst.

Weghorst was taken off early against Barcelona, but on this occasion, Ten Hag felt best to stick with him, and it was the right call.

The Dutchman had a hand in all three Manchester United goals, and created five chances in total. Keeping him on was the right call.

Who knows, Antony might have had a decisive moment if he stayed on too. But he was not having a great game, and we can only judge on the decisions Ten Hag did make. They paid off, and this was another instance of the manager’s magic touch striking again.