“Got to be ready…” Erik ten Hag’s Harry Amas decision questioned by Manchester United legend

Erik ten Hag has been told that Harry Amass should be included in the first-team squad after he left him out of Manchester United’s Community Shield loss.

Following a mixed pre-season, Manchester United put in an impressive display in the Community Shield but were edged out by Manchester City on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Erik ten Hag‘s squad looked sharp, creating several chances for Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, and Scott McTominay before Alejandro Garnacho broke the deadlock with a goal just 10 minutes from time.

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However, with only two minutes left in regular time, Bernardo Silva capitalized on a defensive lapse, getting the better of makeshift right-back Facundo Pellistri to equalise. This forced the match to penalties, and City secured the win.

Despite the outcome, United had plenty of positives, including their ability to create chances, the fluidity of their play, and the strong performances of returning players like Lisandro Martínez and Kobbie Mainoo.

Many have since pointed out that, had Harry Amass been on the bench and able to come on, Diogo Dalot would have never needed to shift to left-back, meaning Pellistri would not have been marking Silva when the winger overpowered him to score the equaliser.

Ten Hag revealed after the game that Amass was left out of the squad due to seniority and because he wanted to see how Pellistri and Martínez fared out of position. However, former United striker and club legend Andy Cole has stated he believes Amass should be part of the first-team squad.

“You’ve got to be ready. It’s that simple,” he told Betfred. “Injuries at Manchester United have picked up, but whether the club wants to bring in a new full-back is another question.

“I think what he (Amass) has done in pre-season has been very, very positive, so for me personally, looking at the tour and where the players are at, it was a good pre-season with lots of positives.

“Of course, the injuries were negative, but overall, I think everyone will be very happy with how the tour went. Pre-season is all about getting everyone fit to a certain extent, but more importantly, you’re looking at performances, and if you look at the performances in general, they were really good.

“We will have to wait and see who remains with the first-team squad, but I think everyone is going into this new season in good form.”

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