“I was always against those calling Erik ten Hag inexperienced coach but what he did yesterday really shows they were right…You can’t keep benching your BEST player and expect miracle to happen”: Man United hero slams Erik ten Hag for benching Starlet against Brighton yesterday
Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand has questioned Erik ten Hag’s decision to start Alejandro Garnacho on the bench in their 2-1 loss to Brighton on Saturday.
The Red Devils had a promising first season under Ten Hag in 2022/23 with the Dutchman leading them to an FA Cup final, League Cup glory and a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Last campaign was terrible in the Premier League with Man Utd finishing eighth, their lowest placing since the competition started in 1992, although they did manage to win the FA Cup against the odds.
Despite Ten Hag looking like he might lose his job for much of the season, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS decided that he is the man to lead their Old Trafford revolution.
Garnacho has been a key player for the Dutchman, especially last term, and Ferdinand was shocked when Ten Hag left him out of the starting XI against Brighton on Saturday.
Ferdinand said on TNT Sports: “I look at him and think ‘how is he not starting’. I think he has been our best player. Our most explosive player.
“And as an opposition (player) you think ‘Wow, I don’t want him (on the pitch)’.”
Danny Welbeck came back to haunt Man Utd in their defeat to the Seagulls and Ferdinand can’t believe that the Red Devils allowed him to leave in 2014.
When asked about his former team-mates’ credentials, Ferdinand replied: “Nothing surprises me with Danny Welbeck.
“I watched him as a young kid at Manchester United and he was a wonderful player.
“I couldn’t believe it when United agreed to let him go because I thought he had so much value, not only as a player but just around the place as well as a former academy player.
“I think he’s someone who players who have played against him respect more than some fans who don’t quite realise how difficult he is to play against. He’s a great professional too.”
Ferdinand added: “We saw players like Welbeck and Jonny Evans leave Manchester United and they’ve gone on to have good Premier League careers.
“They would have been invaluable to have around at United I think. That’s one of the reasons they’ve been in the shadows for such a long time.
“Danny Welbeck is a fantastic, fantastic player.”
Commenting on his side’s performance in their second Premier League match of the season, Ten Hag told reporters: “In build-up and in possession and in how we defend, I have seen some good parts.
“Also there were parts in the game, especially from the second half, where we should keep more control.
“There were very good parts in this game so I have seen a lot of positives from the performance. But we have to build up, in both boxes we have to be more clinical there, we have to be more aggressive.”
