Three things Erik ten Hag got spot on as Man Utd defeat Chelsea at Old Trafford

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Erik ten Hag has been under major scrutiny as manager of Manchester United in recent weeks.

The boss has had to deal with a wave of malicious dressing room rumours this week, to just add to the ever-growing list of controversy surrounding Manchester United this season.

Erik ten Hag has provided the best response possible – he and his coaching staff guided the Red Devils to a win against Chelsea, which now puts them in quite a favourable league position.

Here are three things the manager got spot on in the 2-1 victory at Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag finally dropped Marcus Rashford

One of the biggest talking points when the starting XI dropped had to be the fact that Marcus Rashford was finally relieved of his duties as a starter.

The 26-year-old has been bang out of from this season. Despite his heroics during the 22/23 campaign, Rashford needed to be dropped to understand the simple concept at Manchester United – not one position is safe.

Ten Hag made a statement tonight and was also rewarded with two dazzling performances by both his wingers Alejandro Garnacho and Antony. Rashford now needs to play his way back into the side.

Dropping Kobbie Mainoo for Sofyan Amrabat proved a fantastic move

Another decision Ten Hag made which h certainly raised a few eyebrows was leaving out Kobbie Mainoo. The teenager has been nothing short of sensational for the Red Devils since coming back from injury.

This looked like a game where Mainoo could thrive, with a tasty battle with Moises Caicedo poised. However, the Dutchman opted for Sofyan Amrabat – and was rewarded.

The Moroccan arguably had his best game in a red shirt since his arrival in the summer. He was class.

Erik ten Hag proved the media wrong

This was a game of vindication for Erik ten Hag. A lot of this comes down to his team selection, which not only won the game – but proved a point for Ten Hag.

Amid a sea of dressing room unrest speculation, the boss fielded a side of 11 players who didn’t have a problem playing under Ten Hag or playing together.

It was a real team performance, with emphasis on hard work and togetherness. Exactly what had been said wasn’t present at Old Trafford. A huge win for not just Manchester United, but an internal one for the gaffer.