- Erik ten Hag has called on pundits that played for Man United to be patient
- The Red Devils were booed after a disappointing 1-1 draw with Burnley
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Erik ten Hag has called on Manchester United fans and TV pundits who played for the club to be patient after his substitutions were loudly booed during a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Burnley.
The United boss was forced to defend himself as Old Trafford showed open dissent when popular teenager Kobbie Mainoo was replaced midway through the second half with Rasmus Hojlund with the game still goalless.
Ten Hag also felt the need to defend the squad as whole, claiming they are ‘one of the most dynamic and entertaining teams in the league’ despite struggling for form this season.
Antony did fire the Red Devils ahead after 80 minutes but relegation-threatened Burnley levelled with a late penalty from Zeki Admouni – causing an upset amongst the United faithful.
‘I am the manager and have to decide what the team needs,’ said Ten Hag. ‘It was the right decision and totally logical to bring off very young players who are in their first year of the Premier League and feel some fatigue.
‘They have both had injuries this season and I want to protect them.
‘Fans need patience. I understand they want to see the skills of these players but the league gets more intense year by year and the youngsters need to adjust. That takes time.
Ten Hag also took a dig at former United TV pundits like Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes who have criticised the current team for falling short of standards set by Sir Alex Ferguson.
The manager said: ‘People forget that the Man United team of 2004-05, they also didn’t play that great football (while Ferguson was building a new team around Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo). They were building and it took time but everyone forgets, even the players who were in the team.’
Ten Hag went on to discuss the squad as a whole, defending their style of football while speaking to BBC Sport. He said: ‘We are one of the most dynamic and entertaining teams in the league at this moment.
‘We are creating loads of chances by playing good football. Yes, we concede also. We have to learn from it because it was unnecessary to lose the control’.
Midfielder Mainoo has become a firm favourite with United supporters in his breakthrough year.
The 19-year-old academy graduate didn’t make his first Premier League start until November but has quickly established himself in the first-team and made his England debut against Brazil last month, raising expectations he’ll be in Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2024.
Criticism of ten Hag’s changes underlines the difficulties the Dutchman faces in staying in the job next season.
United are currently sixth in the Premier League table well short of Champions League qualification and are heavy underdogs against Manchester City in next month’s FA Cup final.
Hojlund, 21, has also struggled to make an impact since a £72million move from Atalanta, scoring only eight goals in 26 appearances in the Premier League.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
