Manchester United players “puzzled” by Erik ten Hag decision that bewildered Rio Ferdinand

Manchester United players have reportedly been puzzled by Erik ten Hag’s changes, and Rio Ferdinand has expressed his confusion on social media.

Manchester United currently find themselves 14th in the Premier League, with recent performances leading to growing calls for Erik ten Hag’s dismissal as manager.

United have only managed two wins in their last six matches, one being a 7-0 thrashing of League One side Barnsley, and the other a 3-0 triumph over Southampton— a match that could have gone differently had André Onana not saved a crucial penalty.

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Draws against FC Twente and FC Porto, coupled with 3-0 home defeats to both Liverpool and Tottenham, have intensified doubts over whether Ten Hag is the right man for the job. However, a recent draw with Aston Villa has earned the Dutchman some respite.

One area of major concern for fans has been Ten Hag’s decision-making with substitutions. In the Porto match, he controversially replaced Marcus Rashford at half-time despite the winger being United’s most dangerous player. When the team needed a goal, Ten Hag opted to change his centre-backs instead.

Other choices, such as substituting Joshua Zirkzee against Crystal Palace, have also been questioned, especially as Alejandro Garnacho was pushed to play through a knee injury that has since ruled him out of Argentina’s recent internationals.

According to the Daily Mail, Ten Hag’s policy of rotation has left United’s players “puzzled” as the Dutchman continues to adjust his starting line-up on a regular basis.

The report states that some players are confused as to why the reason given to some of the team for their omissions is that they look “tired.” Following heavy defeats, this has created particular annoyance for players who want to play as soon as possible.

With the players puzzled, many pundits and former players have been somewhat bewildered by the decisions, seemingly expressing this through a single post on X.

After Ten Hag dropped Lisandro Martínez and Matthijs de Ligt in favour of Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans against Aston Villa, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher noted: “You don’t rotate centre-backs. They’ve been dropped.”

Ten Hag will feel somewhat vindicated in his decision after his side kept a clean sheet against Villa, with Evans being awarded the Player of the Match award, although his job is far from safe.

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