Erik ten Hag will continue making unpopular Man United decision after key Southampton contribution

Following Manchester United’s 3-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday, Erik ten Hag looks set to continue making an unpopular decision.

Erik ten Hag made two adjustments to Manchester United’s starting lineup for their Premier League clash with Southampton, bringing in Amad Diallo and Christian Eriksen in place of Alejandro Garnacho and Casemiro.

Southampton started the match on the front foot, putting United under pressure and forcing several key saves from André Onana.

The game’s first turning point came when Diogo Dalot fouled Tyler Dibling in the box, but Onana saved the resulting penalty.

Soon after, Matthijs de Ligt headed home a Bruno Fernandes cross for his first goal for the club, followed by Marcus Rashford doubling the lead with a low strike past Aaron Ramsdale.

United remained dominant in the second half, with Joshua Zirkzee missing a scoring opportunity before substitute Alejandro Garnacho sealed the 3-0 win with a late goal.

Ten Hag’s decision on Garnacho

Many fans were unhappy that Garnacho started on the bench once again today but the truth is that the Argentine is one of the most threatening ‘impact substitutes’ in the league.

He scored off the bench against Manchester City and Southampton, and he assisted off the bench against Fulham. If it hadn’t been for a freak offside goal against Brighton, he would’ve netted against Brighton as well.

After starting consistently last term, Garnacho will not have that same role this season, and that does not reflect on his ability as a player.

Ten Hag has expressed the importance of the squad and substitutes in recent weeks, and there is no better example than Garnacho. He can help change a game from the bench better than any of United’s other attackers.

With the amount of football the team are expected to play, he will definitely start games, but fans will likely continue to see him start on the bench in matches where they think he should start.

That is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it is a compliment to Garnacho’s ability to impact games better than many other players in the league.

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