“Absolutely crazy…” Wayne Rooney blasts Erik ten Hag for two decisions top teams “never make”

Wayne Rooney has blasted Erik ten Hag for making two “crazy” Manchester United decisions that top teams should “never” make.

Manchester United are currently sat 14th in the Premier League, with a string of poor performances leading to louder calls for Erik ten Hag’s dismissal as manager.

United have only managed two wins in their last six games— a 7-0 demolition of Barnsley in the Carabao Cup and a 3-0 victory over Southampton, which was saved by a crucial penalty stop from André Onana that could have changed the game’s outcome.

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Draws against FC Twente and FC Porto, alongside disappointing 3-0 home defeats to both Liverpool and Tottenham, have cast serious doubts over Ten Hag’s future. However, a recent draw against Aston Villa gave the Dutchman a temporary lifeline.

One recurring issue has been Ten Hag’s controversial substitutions and line-up decisions. In the match against Porto, he substituted Marcus Rashford at half-time despite him being United’s most dangerous attacker.

Even when United were chasing a goal, Ten Hag instead changed his centre-backs, although, to his credit, substitute Harry Maguire scored the late equaliser to rescue a point.

Other decisions, such as taking off Joshua Zirkzee against Crystal Palace, have also puzzled fans, especially since Alejandro Garnacho was played through a knee injury, which has now ruled him out of Argentina’s latest international fixtures.

Former United captain and club legend Wayne Rooney has spoken on the issue, blasting two of Ten Hag’s recent decisions. First, the 38-year-old explained that he is baffled by the constant centre-back rotation, and secondly, he could not believe the Rashford substitution against Porto.

“Some of the changes he’s making… you never see top teams changing their centre backs during a game, or the back four,” Rooney said on the latest episode of Stick to Football.

“That happens on a regular basis [under Ten Hag] and the Rashford one… it’s the best I’ve seen Rashford play for a long time, against Porto, and to take him off and say ‘we’ve got another game at the weekend’… I think it’s absolutely crazy,” he then added.

Many share Rooney’s opinion. Recently, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher echoed these thoughts, noting before the Aston Villa draw when Ten Hag changed both his central defenders: “You don’t rotate centre-backs. They’ve been dropped.”

Ten Hag will feel somewhat vindicated in this particular 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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