Gary Neville insists ‘this is not the plan’ after Erik ten Hag drops two major stars to the bench ahead of Manchester United’s crunch clash against Aston Villa
Gary Neville has delivered a scathing assessment of Erik ten Hag’s selection decisions for Man United’s clash with Aston Villa.
The Dutchman goes into Sunday’s game at Villa Park under heavy criticism after another faltering start to the campaign.
A dramatic Europa League draw against Porto in midweek did little to ease the pressure on Ten Hag, with many thinking his job could be in jeopardy if United fail to get all three points.
Harry Maguire scored an all-important equalizer at the Estadio do Dragao, and Ten Hag has opted to start the England international alongside veteran Jonny Evans in the center of defence.
The decision means that both Lisandro Martinez and summer signing Matthijs De Ligt are forced to settle for a place on the bench.
Gary Neville questioned Erik ten Hag’s decision to leave out two key players in Man United’s clash with Aston Villa
United start the match at Villa Park with a central defender of Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans
Before the match, Ten Hag emphasized that the rotation was a result of United’s busy schedule
Before the match, Neville insisted the selection was a damning indictment of Ten Hag’s inability to implement a new playing style.
‘United have six centre-backs. “If you said five weeks ago you were going to end up with Maguire and Evans, I would say there must be injuries,” Neville told Sky Sports.
De Ligt and Martinez have been dumped on the bench. The plan was for ten Hag to develop a playing style. This is not the plan.”
Asked about the decision to leave both Martinez and De Ligt on the bench, Ten Hag claimed he was prioritizing rotation.
‘Rotation. We have so many games to beat and then you look at the opponent,” he said.
More to follow.