A significant portion of Manchester United’s fanbase expressed intense anger over the “illogical” substitutions made by Coach Ten Hag during the 1-3 loss to Brighton.
Ten Hag’s decision to replace Rasmus Hojlund with Anthony Martial in the 1-3 defeat against Brighton in the fifth round of the Premier League sparked fierce criticism from the home fans.
Coach Ten Hag suddenly made the “couldn’t be worse” decision to let Marital come on to replace Hojlund
At the moment Ten Hag decided to bring on Martial for Hojlund while Man United was trailing 2-0, a large section of Man United supporters vehemently protested in the stands. Hojlund had scored a goal in the first half, but it was disallowed by VAR due to Marcus Rashford straying offside in the build-up.
Afterwards, Hojlund was still seen as a significant threat to Brighton’s goal, even with Man United being two goals down. However, in the 64th minute, Ten Hag made a surprising and, as described by many, a “bewildering” decision to substitute the forward, bringing Martial onto the pitch. This decision left the Red Devils’ fans furious.
Former footballer Michael Dawson commented, “The Red Devils’ fans are expressing disappointment with the jeers, and they are not happy about Hojlund being substituted for Martial.”
Many people still call for the Dutch military leader to be fired
In the 41st minute, Man United thought they had equalized with a goal that was surprisingly ruled out by VAR. In the second half, Brighton extended their lead to 2-0, and shortly after Hojlund was substituted, Brighton secured a 3-0 victory.
Witnessing the disappointing performance of the Man United players, many fans even left Old Trafford before the match had concluded. Immediately after the game, there was a lot of criticism directed at Coach Ten Hag for his “puzzling” lineup choices, particularly for bringing on Martial. Some even called for his dismissal if he didn’t start the Danish forward, Hojlund.
Former Man United defender Paul Parker shared the sentiment, saying, “If Hojlund doesn’t start in the match against Brighton, then perhaps all the fans would want Coach Ten Hag to be sacked, and that would be quite justified. There’s no reason for Hojlund to be on the bench.”
Young talents are not used properly
Regarding Martial, he added, “Martial isn’t even deserving of a place on the bench. There needs to be a talented young player who is better and can serve as a substitute before Hojlund can become the number one striker. Man United fans have grown tired of witnessing a player with a poor attitude, petulance, and complaints like Martial getting opportunities to play.”
