Erik ten Hag did the previously unthinkable for Manchester United at half-time against Brentford.
While the Dutchman no doubt berated his players for yet another dismal 45 minutes, he opted to hook Casemiro; one man so important to the upturn last season. Following his brilliant debut season at Old Trafford, though, there is now a major question mark over the Brazilian powerhouse with a massive game around the corner.
Bragging rights will be put on the line for the first time this campaign soon after the international break when United welcome their treble-winning neighbours to Old Trafford on Sunday, October 29 (3.30pm). Casemiro is by no means a certainty to be jotted on the teamsheet for that derby showdown.
Within four-and-a-bit manic days at the club’s iconic home, the former Real Madrid enforcer was sent off and then hooked off to leave his once-guaranteed place in the line-up in jeopardy. It speaks volumes that his biggest impact, this season, has been when providing an unlikely – but welcome – source for goals.
Casemiro is, remarkably, the top-scorer for United so far this season, with four strikes in all competitions. But there remains something glaringly absent from his usually-reliable defensive game
“I wanted more football,” explained Ten Hag after replacing Casemiro with Christian Eriksen at the interval during a dramatic victory over Brentford on Saturday afternoon. It was another midfielder, unfancied Scott McTominay, who then stole the headlines with a stoppage-time double that will go down in Premier League folklore.
“[I wanted] one who brings passing, distribution and link-up play,” continued Ten Hag in his press conference. “So I thought to bring Christian Eriksen [on] for Casemiro.”
In saying very little and broaching around the subject, Ten Hag actually said quite a lot. Casemiro – his go-to player and lieutenant from last season – was sacrificed to shake up the line-up just months or weeks after anybody might, justifiably, have considered the 31-year-old as un-droppable
Not any longer. While it would be foolish to write Casemiro off at this juncture, given what he has achieved in the game and even since his £60million transfer from Real last summer, United now finally have something they simply didn’t have last term – options to replace him.
McTominay nudged Ten Hag not once, but twice, with his heroics in the Brentford game, while deadline day loan arrival Sofyan Amrabat was finally deployed in the engine room after struggling as an auxiliary, yet necessary, left-back to cover for injuries to Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Sergio Reguilon. Shaw and Reguilon should be available when domestic action resumes after the international break.
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Rasford’s form, injury returns, Sancho resolution – Erik ten Hag’s dream international break at Manchester United
Man Utd got a vital win under their belts against Brentford on Saturday but there are still plenty of issues for the Dutchman to address.
Manchester United go into this international break off the back of a massive win over Brentford but Erik ten Hag isn’t about to let that paper over the cracks.
Scott McTominay was the hero at Old Trafford, scoring twice in added-time to turn agony into ecstasy. The 26-year-old fired home an equaliser in the 93rd minute before finding the space to nod home the winner shortly after.
Victory alleviated the pressure on Ten Hag going into the October international break, but it would be remiss not to address the issues still very much present in his squad. United had endured their worst start to a campaign for 39 years before Saturday and one swallow does not make a summer.
The fact that United had to rely on McTominay is evidence of their main issue: a lack of goals from reliable sources. No one player is to blame for the drought but Ten Hag could do with Marcus Rashford finding form again.
The forward was United’s top-scorer with 30 goals across all competitions last season but so far has just one. Again on Saturday, he looked deflated and lacked the incisiveness that opened up space for him so often over the last 12 months.
Rashford will join up with his England teammates this week for a friendly against Australia and a Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy. The 25-year-old is facing plenty of competition for his spot in the starting line-up but Ten Hag would love to see his talisman get a feel for goals before returning.
United’s increasing injury list was also on show over the weekend, with Ten Hag forced to start Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans in central defence together. The Dutchman looks set to be without Lisandro Martinez for the foreseeable future, while Raphael Varane missed out with a ‘minor issue’.
The international break should allow those on the verge of returning to finalise their rehabilitation without the pressure of being fit for an imminent fixture. Varane is expected to be okay for the first game back, away to Sheffield United, while Sergio Reguilon should also be available after a fortnight to recover.
Kobbie Mainoo could also return to the first-team picture, having joined group training ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League defeat against Galatasaray. The 18-year-old is yet to feature this season after suffering an ankle injury over the summer, with an uninterrupted fortnight allowing him to work on fitness.
Ten Hag has had his fair share of off-field issues to deal with as well, not least the very public fallout with Jadon Sancho. The 23-year-old essentially accused his manager of lying after being left out of the squad to face Arsenal due to alleged poor performances in training.
The Manchester Evening News understands that Sancho would be open to a January exit, should he remain in the cold, and reports have linked him with a return to Borussia Dortmund. Whichever way this situation goes, Ten Hag would be minded to find a resolution and bring some closure over the next fortnight, so as to end speculation and allow him to focus on footballing matters.
Man Utd news: Erik Ten Hag tipped for Ajax return as Andre Onana considers U-turn
Manchester United will host Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday in now what appears a must-win game for Erik ten Hag following successive defeats
If Erik ten Hag was seeking a dream start to Manchester United’s 2023/24 campaign, then it’s quickly descended into a nightmare.
The Red Devils and their fans are still reeling from their shambolic home defeat by Galatasaray on Tuesday night, which came just three days after being humbled at the same venue by Crystal Palace. And the loss came amid a series of errors of new keeper Andre Onana, whose place in the side is coming under increasing scrutiny.
Brentford will be the next team to visit Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday, United’s last game before the international break. And Ten Hag’s side dare not lose, having already tasted four defeats in just seven league matches thus far.
And as the prolonged, and for fans frustrating, takeover saga enters day 318 we bring you the latest headlines from Old Trafford….
Ten Hag tipped for shock Ajax return
Former Ajax striker Kenneth Perez has insisted it’s “not a crazy idea” for Erik ten Hag back to return to the club amid his struggled at Manchester United.
“Imagine if Erik ten Hag were fired, would it be very crazy for Ajax to ask him back?” Perez said on ESPN’s Voetbalpraat (via Metro). The Danish international had two stints at Ajax as a player, and won the Eredivisie under Ten Hag’s assistant Steve McClaren when the pair were at FC Twente.
“Manchester United is known for the fact that things can get difficult if things don’t go well,” the 49-year-old added. “Then it’s not a crazy idea, is it?”
Onana considers Cameroon u-turn
Andre Onana might skip AFCON due to his club form (
Visionhaus/Getty Images)
HAVE YOUR SAY! Should Erik ten Hag drop Andre Onana? Comment below.
Andre Onana’s Manchester United nightmare is set to prompt another U-turn on his international career with Cameroon.
The goalkeeper made a shock return to play in the 3-0 win over Burundi on September 12, a result which secured the Indomitable Lions a place at the Nations Cup in the Ivory Coast in January. Were he selected for the tournament, he could miss as many as nine games for United.
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But after being called into the national squad for the October games with Russia and Senegal, ESPN is claiming Onana may head back into the international wilderness. He is keen to focus on regaining his form at United and will hold talks with Cameroon officials before he commits himself to playing at AFCON.
United duo called up by England
Maguire is back in the England squad (
Offside via Getty Images)
Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford have been named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for October fixtures against Australia and Italy.
Maguire again retains his place despite struggling to hold down a starting berth at United. His last England outing resulted in an own goal in the 3-1 win over Scotland, which prompted Southgate to vehemently defend the under-fire centre back
The duo are the only players from the club to be names in the squad. However, Ten Hag is preparing for a raft of international call-ups from elsewhere for his players.
Erik ten Hag still has issues over three Man Utd players despite dramatic Brentford win
MANCHESTER UNITED 2-1 BRENTFORD: Heading into stoppage time, Erik ten Hag was a manager under serious pressure, with Scott McTominay’s dramatic brace changing the narrat
After his struggling Manchester United had snatched the most unlikely of victories from the jaws of another dismal defeat, Erik ten Hag gard went onto the pitch and hugged each and every one of his players.
Inside a cacophonous Old Trafford, those players then went on a mini lap of honour … for beating Brentford. Ten Hag KNEW how important the two, added-time goals from Scott McTominay had been. The players KNEW how important they had been, the fans KNEW how important they had been.
And apart from McTominay demonstrating his unsung predatory skills, at least the dramatic comeback showed this is a United team that does not lack heart, does not lack fight, does not lack spirit. It lacks defensive acumen, it lacks a high-class goalkeeper, it lacks a distinctive game plan … but at le
Old-fashioned grit produced a couple of old-fashioned goals to avert a result that would have turned the queries about Ten Hag’s future into serious questions. At least Ten Hag and United can go into the international break on some sort of relative high and at least he should now know he can rely on a couple of no-nonsense players who have been on the fringes of the Dutchman’s plans.
Harry Maguire’s assist for McTominay’s winner should not go unnoticed. No wonder the hapless Andre Onana gave Maguire a special hug after the final whistle.
And the noise around the ground should inject a shot of confidence into a team that looked rudderless throughout most of the match, although, in truth, there was an awful lot of forgettable football played in this contest.
Scott McTominay’s was Manchester United’s hero against Brentford
Maguire was making his first Premier League start of the season, his appearance enforced by the absence of Ten Hag’s entire first-choice defensive line-up. While Ten Hag’s stock has, without question, been sliding, the United manager has had to deal with a variety of injury issues and Maguire was a last-resort selection.
Earlier in the week, Ten Hag had this to say about Onana. “He has the capabilities to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world.”
So far, Onana has kept those capabilities well under wraps. As his collection of errors becomes a catalogue, his confidence is being eroded by the minute.
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The home fans actually cheered when he made the most basic catches early in the second half. Of course, it does not help that he is behind a defensive unit that has forgotten how to defend but, nevertheless, Onana is playing like a novice.
Unlike Casemiro, who is doing a surprise impression of a has-been. There should be a good few years left in the Brazilian but, right now, he i
But even if he has not forced his way into Ten Hag’s starting plans, McTominay’s contribution to United’s season is already hugely significant. And credit to the United manager for calling on McTominay’s physical presence very late in the game when he had other options available.
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