Coach Erik Ten Hag should have decisively removed a player from the starting lineup.
After two disappointing draws in a row, Manchester United had the opportunity to regain fans’ trust with a home match against Tottenham Hotspur. This season, Ange Postecoglou’s side also had a lackluster start, sharing 7 points with the Red Devils after 5 rounds. Therefore, with home advantage, Manchester United was expected to achieve a positive result, and a victory against a “Big Six” team would provide a significant boost for Ten Hag’s squad.
However, Ten Hag faced a crucial decision before last night’s clash. Following poor performances since the start of the season—culminating in the match against Crystal Palace where they lost possession 34 times—some Manchester United fans called for Ten Hag to drop Bruno Fernandes through social media comments. Additionally, several journalists published articles outlining why Bruno should be left out, yet that scenario ultimately did not materialize.
Despite the noise from the media and fans, Ten Hag opted for caution and included Bruno in the starting lineup. The Dutch strategist had reasons to continue trusting Bruno, as the player had delivered impressive performances in previous encounters with Spurs. Moreover, excluding such an important player before a major match was a genuinely risky decision. However, in the end, that caution cost Ten Hag dearly.
Aside from the damaging red card, Bruno left no significant impression during the clash last night. In the 42 minutes he was on the pitch, despite having 29 touches, it was evident that Bruno was completely ineffective, contributing nothing to United’s attack. Data from Sofascore indicated that the Portuguese midfielder did not register a single shot or key pass against Spurs, and lost all 3 duels he contested. Additionally, he allowed an opponent to dribble past him once.
It is clear that Ten Hag made a mistake in trusting Bruno, and he should have had the courage to exclude the midfielder after a series of underwhelming performances this season. Certainly, Ten Hag had several alternatives to replace the Portuguese midfielder, such as Mason Mount—who created 2 scoring opportunities after coming on as a substitute (the most for United)—or using Rasmus Hojlund to form a striking partnership with Joshua Zirkzee.