“How can you take off you best player at first half? He was never injured. Erik ten Hag need to be sacked”-Fans baffled and fumes as Erik ten Hag explains why Marcus Rashford was taken off at half-time against FC Porto.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has shed light on his decision to substitute Marcus Rashford at halftime during Thursday’s Europa League clash against FC Porto.
Rashford, who has been struggling with form recently, had a solid start to the game, scoring United’s first goal while performing strongly on the left wing. He consistently caused problems for Porto’s full-back, Joao Mario. Following his goal, Rashford assisted Rasmus Hojlund, allowing United to extend their lead to 2-0.
Despite his impressive first-half showing, Ten Hag’s decision to replace Rashford at halftime raised eyebrows, leading many to speculate whether it was due to an injury. However, the Dutch coach clarified after the match that the substitution was part of a planned rotation, with Alejandro Garnacho coming on to replace Rashford.
“We need to rotate,” Ten Hag told TNT Sports. “We wanted to bring Garnacho on. We have to give him game time. We have a quick turnaround before playing [Aston] Villa. We need fresh players on the field for Sunday.”
When pressed further on whether Rashford could have stayed on longer, Ten Hag repeated, “We needed to play Garnacho. With a quick turnaround before Villa, who have had more rest, we need fresh legs on Sunday.”
Despite Ten Hag’s explanation, many fans were left puzzled by his decision, given Rashford’s strong performance.
One fan tweeted, “Rashford was the biggest threat on the field. Porto couldn’t deal with him… and then Ten Hag took him off due to pre-planned rotation. Unbelievable!”
Another added, “Wow. I assumed he was injured, but Ten Hag just confirmed it was for rotation. Rashford was the standout player in the first half. Makes no sense.”
A third fan commented, “WOW! Ten Hag confirmed it wasn’t an injury but just rotation. That’s insane. He was easily our most effective player in the first half. Crazy decision.”
Another fan shared, “Ten Hag says Rashford was subbed for Villa on Sunday. Our best player, and he’s taken off. This could have serious implications for his future. Absolutely ridiculous.”
A fifth fan posted, “Just heard Ten Hag took off Rashford, our top performer, for rotation. No wonder Rashford struggles under this. That’s the final straw for me.”
Despite the controversial decision, United managed to scrape a point in Portugal thanks to a late header from Harry Maguire, bringing the score to 3-3. The team currently sits 21st in the Europa League standings, with only two points from their opening two matches.
