Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag made life more difficult than it needed to be during the clash with Porto.
Holding onto a lead in Europe is an impossible task for Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United.
The 2-0 advantage away at Porto evaporated in the blink of an eye, with United going in at half-time 2-2. The game eventually finished in a 3-3 draw.
United’s attacking threat in the second half diminished after the odd decision to substitute Marcus Rashford at half-time, after he had scored one goal and assisted another.
How Erik ten Hag explained Rashford substitution
Erik ten Hag was quizzed after the draw in Porto and asked about why he took Marcus Rashford off at the break.
He told club media: “We have to rotate. Garnacho, we didn’t start him. He had a great game, not only on Sunday, but I think in the whole season.
“We sub them [the players who went off] because on Sunday we have another hard game, a good game, so we need players to be available and be fit and be fresh. It’s a quick turnaround to Villa.
“They have a day longer [to recover] and we have an away game, so we want fresh players on the pitch.”
Ten Hag’s explanation did not cut much ice with many Manchester United fans, and it has become a real talking point, with more questions being asked of the Dutchman.
Erik ten Hag blasted
ESPN pundit Shaka Hislop questioned Erik ten Hag’s man-management skills, pointing out that the Rashford substitution made no sense.
He said: “You do that with a player who’s been flying all season long and your entire season is hinging on him.
“But when its a player that’s struggling and all of a sudden has re-found his form, leave him alone, let him play, let him fill his boots.
“To take him off at half-time, honestly I am gobsmacked to hear it was rotational.”
He added that Ten Hag is only making life more difficult for himself and claimed this would not be a decision taken by Pep Guardiola.
Hislop said: “Let me also say people try to defend Erik ten Hag, and say Pep Guardiola couldn’t get a tune out of this Manchester United. Pep Guardiola would not take Marcus Rashford off after just 45 minutes when he is in this type of form
“Erik ten Hag just blew up his only line of defence, in a stubborn decision.”
- READ MORE: Who is Marcus Rashford? Inside the life of Man Utd’s book-writing, government-tackling ace
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