Erik ten Hag faced boos from angry Manchester United supporters when he subbed off new signing Rasmus Hojlund in place of Anthony Martial during Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Brighton
Video Loading
Video Unavailable
Manchester United V Brighton: Pictures
Erik ten Hag has urged the furious Manchester United fans who booed his decision to take off Rasmus Hojlund to understand that the £72million signing still isn’t fully fit.
Hojlund played the first 64 minutes of Saturday’s humiliating 3-1 loss at home to Brighton, leaving the Red Devils with three defeats from their first five Premier League games this season. In his place came Anthony Martial, who continues to be the subject of criticism from United supporters for his below-par performances.
But Ten Hag insists that the decision was best for Hojlund, who thought he’d marked his home debut with a goal before VAR controversially ruled that the ball had gone out of play in the build-up. Speaking to Sky Sports after the defeat, the Red Devils boss explained that Hojlund’s back issue - which has lingered on since July and could cause further problems down the line - was why the Danish wonderkid couldn’t complete all 90 minutes.
“He is coming with a small issue and we have to be careful but the reception of the fans was great,” Ten Hag declared. “His game was great and the fans embraced it. He was unlucky with the disallowed goal, it would have been a great afternoon for him. It was not the case but he will keep going. He is a strong character as we are as a team and we will push back.”
The 20-year-old, who was signed from Italian side Atalanta and made his debut away to Arsenal a fortnight ago, will likely make his second start for United when they travel to face Bayern Munich in their Champions League group stage opener on Wednesday. Although facing the German champions seems like a daunting task, Ten Hag reckons that it’s an ideal chance to get back on track.
Have your say! Should Erik ten Hag fear for his job? Give us your stance in thecomments section.
There were boos at Old Trafford when Rasmus Hojlund was replaced by Anthony Martial (
Image:
Michael Regan/Getty Images)
“It is a great opportunity against a great opponent,” the United manager, who previously worked in Bayern’s youth academy, affirmed. “We are all looking forward to being back in the Champions League where we belong. But you have to fight for it, prove yourself every time as a team and as an individual.”
Midfielder Christian Eriksen feels that his team-mates only need to change the “small things” in order to return to their best. “We had the offside at Arsenal and today when we scored but it was out of play,” Eriksen noted. “The small things we are missing and a bit of luck to get over the line and get something out of the effort we put in.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Watch the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League and much more
TNT Sports gives you access to games across the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, Serie A and many more. You can also watch the biggest clashes in boxing, UFC, WWE and the get exclusive action from MLB all for one payment every month. You can watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
£29.99 a month and get access to discovery+ Premium at no extra cost
TNT Sports
“Any game at the start of the season doesn’t matter who you play, is very important. We focus on our games and whoever we play we want to win. But we have lost three already and we have to change that.”
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our _ _Privacy Notice.
