Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag recently provided an explanation for his controversial decision to substitute Marcus Rashford at half-time during their Europa League match against FC Porto on Thursday. Rashford, who had been experiencing a dip in form this season, delivered a strong performance in the first half.
He opened the scoring for United with a brilliant solo effort, using his trademark wing play to beat defenders and slot home. Additionally, Rashford provided an assist for Rasmus Hojlund, helping United take a 2-0 lead in the first half.
Despite his excellent display, Ten Hag made the surprising choice to replace Rashford with Alejandro Garnacho at the break. This led to widespread speculation that the England forward might have been dealing with an injury, given how well he had been playing.
However, Ten Hag addressed the matter in a post-match interview, revealing that the substitution was not due to injury but part of a pre-determined rotation strategy.
In his interview with TNT Sports, Ten Hag explained, “We needed to rotate. We wanted Garnacho to play. With the game against [Aston] Villa coming up quickly, we had to think about keeping players fresh for Sunday.”
When asked if Rashford could have continued playing, given his form in the first half, Ten Hag reiterated the importance of squad rotation: “We have to give Garnacho minutes on the pitch. Villa has had an extra day of rest, and with the match being away, fresh legs are essential.”
The decision to take Rashford off, especially after such an influential first-half performance, left many fans and pundits baffled. Social media erupted with reactions, with supporters questioning Ten Hag’s reasoning behind the move.
One fan tweeted in disbelief: “Rashford was the most dangerous player on the pitch. Porto couldn’t deal with him, and Ten Hag took him off because of rotation? I can’t believe it!”
Another fan echoed this sentiment, saying: “I thought Rashford must have been injured. But no, it’s just rotation! He was our best player in that first half—makes no sense at all.”
A third supporter added to the confusion: “WOW! Ten Hag really said it was for rotation, not an injury. Rashford was by far our most effective player in that first half. Insane decision.”
Yet another fan expressed frustration over the decision ahead of the Villa match: “Ten Hag took off our only attacking threat for Sunday’s game against Villa. That’s ridiculous.”
Lastly, one fan summed up the general feeling among supporters: “Hearing that Ten Hag subbed Rashford, our best player, at half-time just for ‘rotation’ is unbelievable. No wonder Rashford struggles with consistency. This is the last straw for me.”
In the end, Ten Hag’s decision to rest Rashford for the upcoming Premier League match against Aston Villa has sparked widespread criticism, with many fans feeling that the move disrupted United’s momentum and questioning the long-term impact on Rashford’s confidence and form.