Jonny Evans’ grave admission about Man United draw speaks volumes about Erik ten Hag

Jonny Evans made a disappointing admission about Manchester United’s draw against Aston Villa which speaks volumes about Erik ten Hag.

United travelled away to Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon following a disapointing result against FC Porto in the Europa League on Thursday.

Erik ten Hag entered the game with huge pressure surrounding his future at Old Trafford and you could tell that through his approach.

The manager made several changes to his lineup, including benching Lisandro Martínez and Matthijs de Ligt for Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire.

United also focused on their defensive game against a Villa side that were far from their best.

Despite securing a 0-0 draw, it was a result and performance that once again showed where United are. They acted like a small team against Villa and rarely threatened.

United’s wingers were almost acting as wingbacks during the game, which is partly why neither Alejandro Garnacho or Marcus Rashford could make a significant impact in the final third.

This approach was detailed by Jonny Evans, who was probably United’s best player, after the game.

He admitted that United were focusing on being more “defensive-minded” in this encounter to “give ourselves a chance” – that is never something you’d expect to hear from a Manchester United side facing Aston Villa.

“We got a point against a good side away from home,” began Evans, who spoke to Sky Sports after the game.

“The other night conceding three we wanted to be more defensive-minded to give ourselves a chance.

“We were looking for that one moment of quality, maybe on the counter and we nearly got it at the end.

“Fair play to Villa. They’re good players and you never feel comfortable. You’ve always got to be on your toes and ready.”

While you can argue that the result is positive, this mindset from Ten Hag shows that he is in panic mode and this should not be the case in your third year at the club.

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