Erik ten Hag makes controversial Man United decision, it’s probably the right one

Erik ten Hag has made a controversial decision at Manchester United that some fans might not agree with, but it is probably the right call to make.

According to the Manchester World, the Reds are keeping tabs on a potential left-back signing before the end of the summer transfer window.

Luke Shaw will be out injured until after the first international break of the season, while Tyrell Malacia will remain sidelined for several months.

It was explained that Ten Hag would prefer to bring in another specialised option for the position despite Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui being able to play the position if needed.

While Harry Amass performed excellently on the club’s pre-season tour, it was added that the 17-year-old is not currently viewed to be ready for the first-team frame.

Amass travelled with United to Wembley for the Community Shield but was not included in the matchday squad despite Ten Hag not having any defenders on the bench and using Lisandro Martínez at left-back.

Some fans are of the opinion that Amass is ready for the jump into the first-team after watching him shine during pre-season.

They have also seen Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo shine when put into the limelight and likely expected the same to happen for Amass.

While the young defender is incredibly talented, Ten Hag probably made the right call to slow things down for him after a rollercoaster of a pre-season.

He is younger than both Mainoo and Garnacho when they made their full debuts for the club and plays in a position where he could get easily exposed by some of the most dangerous wingers in European football.

While Amass is brilliant on the ball and has great defensive intensity, he can switch off in moments when players are making off-ball runs behind him. It happened a couple of times on tour and would only happen more in the Premier League.

Keeping him around the squad and potentially getting some spare minutes here and there is the right course of action for the defender.

A new left-back could either be a loan or free transfer, but it is clear that United have a great long-term option for the position—but they need to take careful steps to get there.

Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is released every Thursday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.