According to former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown, players at Old Trafford are frustrated with one of Erik ten Hag’s decisions. The Red Devils manager is facing scrutiny for his team’s disappointing performances this season. They are currently 14th in the league and their defeats against Liverpool and Tottenham at home have raised questions about the players and the manager.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s pick of the next potential manager at the club has been named and it is former AC Milan and Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri, while Thomas Tuchel is also reportedly waiting in the wings. Ten Hag made a decision in one of the recent matches at the club that has not gone down too well with the fans and the players.
The Dutch manager took off Marcus Rashford at halftime against FC Porto when the English attacker had scored and assisted in the first half. It was a decision that did not go down well with the Man United faithful, who criticized the manager’s decision to take off their best player only for rotational purpose when the game at hand was still there to be won.
“I don’t understand the issue with Marcus Rashford,” Brown told Football Insider. “In the week [against Porto], he played like the Rashford we know, running at defenders, causing all sorts of trouble and scoring a goal. Then he gets taken off at half-time and you assume he’s picked up an injury, but when Ten Hag was asked about it he said it was rotation. It’s bizarre. Very, very difficult to fathom the thinking behind that. It’s not the first time it’s happened either. I’ve heard there are a few frustrations in the dressing room because of these decisions and the way he’s treating the players.”
Man United fans have every right to get upset with this decision of the manager which cost them potentially two points away against Porto. When it was finally looking like Rashford was coming back to form, Ten Hag took him off and replaced him with Alejandro Garnacho.
In two matches in the Europa League, the Red Devils have still not won and their place in the competition could get into trouble. Ten Hag’s decisions have worked against him and it is not a huge surprise to see that considering he cannot get anything right at the club at the moment. The international break has come at the right time for the manager to regroup his thoughts and make a plan for the future or risk losing his job.
