Erik ten Hag raised eyebrows with his Manchester United team selection against Aston Villa.
The Dutchman’s job hinged on Manchester United’s performance at Villa Park, and a goalless draw has delivered more questions than answers.
In what was a make-or-break week for Erik ten Hag, he has come out the other end with two draws against Porto and Aston Villa. Whether that is enough to keep him in the Old Trafford hot seat is yet to be seen.
When the spotlight was on him, Erik ten Hag made a number of bold choices on Sunday afternoon, including two changes to his backline.
Ten Hag dropped two of his own signings in Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez and instead started the partnership of Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans after their substitute cameos against Porto.
It was a decision that was met with plenty of criticism, but a decision that had a huge pay-off.
Jonny Evans was ‘brilliant’ against Aston Villa
United have quite literally spent hundreds of millions trying to improve their defensive options under Ten Hag, yet in his time of need, he started Maguire and Evans.
Ten Hag claimed that he was simply rotating his team, but after also bringing on the duo for the Porto draw it seems that they are two players he can wholeheartedly trust.
And they showed why against Villa. Both Evans and Maguire were superb at the back, although the latter was taken off at half-time with an injury and has now been pictured leaving the stadium in a protective boot.
Evans soldiered on in the second half and was deservedly named the Player of the Match.
He came close to having a flawless game having won 11 of his 12 duels – a 92 percent success rate. He made 54 touches and completed 86 percent of his passes.
Evans only lost possession six times across 90 minutes and ended the match with four tackles – more than any other United defender.
His performance was hailed as “brilliant” by BBC Sport pundit Clinton Morrison, who added: “He got a few kicks in the first half and he did well.
“He might not have the pace, but what Evans does is he reads the game very well. He has come in and has done a good job – a good decision from Ten Hag.”
Erik ten Hag must find his best defence
Ten Hag insisted that “rotation” was his thinking behind his decision-making, and his decision to start Evans and Maguire was a masterstroke.
But ultimately he will have to settle on a first-choice back four at some point this season, and so far he has no idea who fits that.
READ MORE: Five things learned from Manchester United’s goalless draw against Aston Villa
De Ligt and Martinez appeared to be first choice but after a disastrous display against Porto they have fallen down the pecking order.
When Leny Yoro returns from injury he will also enter the centre-back equation. For United to progress, Ten Hag needs to find his best centre-back partnership.
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