Man United fans turn on Erik ten Hag for his tactical switch that left 'playing with 10 men'

Manchester United fans have turned on Erik ten Hag after he made a tactical call that fans felt left the team "playing with 10 men".

The Red Devils suffered a second consecutive defeat, going 1-0 down to relegation-threatened West Ham after David de Gea gifted Said Benrahma the only goal of the game with a huge first-half error.

The Algerian's shot from distance was tame but somehow squeezed past United's No.1, who is out of contract in the summer.

But United on the whole were extremely poor at the London Stadium and some supporters fumed with Ten Hag for a costly decision he made.

January loanee Wout Weghorst started for United but not as a number nine. Instead, Marcus Rashford led the line, with Antony on the right and captain Bruno Fernandes having to play off the left flank.

The 6ft 6 striker was deployed as a No.10, with Ten Hag explaining his inclusion was down to "his height, good header, he wants to run, and especially it's about the long balls, second balls, and Wout is good in such moments."

But the Netherlands international, who is still yet to score a Premier League goal for United, proved completely ineffective and was replaced by Anthony Martial in the 57th minute.

Image: Alamy

Weghorst has even been utilised as a holding midfielder on occasion but there was mass frustration amongst United fans for the set-up.

One wrote: "Didn’t understand why Weghorst played as a no 10 in a game where we were sure to have majority of the ball."

A second shared the same view, writing: "I really will never understand why Ten Hag sticks Bruno out on the wing to accommodate Weghorst."

Another fumed: "I love Ten Hag but I don’t get the man's obsession with playing Weghorst as the No10."

A fourth went in: "The reason Erik ten Hag keeps playing Weghorst is because how else is he going to sleep at night?"

A fifth tweeted: "Scoured the whole market in the world and Erik Ten Hag said give me Wout Weghorst."

A final user summed it up, saying: "No manager in their right mind will play weghorst as a No.10."

Image: Alamy

United legend Rio Ferdinand shared the same annoyance as supporters and took issue with the use of Weghorst in this position, doubting his ability to get in between the lines and create things.

"I just think Manchester United’s No.10 – a top team’s No. 10 – doesn’t look like a Weghorst in my eyes, with the attributes he’s got," Ferdinand told BT Sport.

"Let’s look at it another way, if I’m Sancho, Bruno [Fernandes], Garnacho, Martial and I’m sitting there watching him line-up as a No. 10 in front of me…

"The No. 10 shirt means something else, it’s a player that can create, has got guile, can get between the lines and get on the half turn and bring other people into play in that sense and get goals.

‘Weghorst doesn’t offer those things I’ve just said there… I think his best piece of play today was a tackle in his own box. That’s a No. 10. That’s not what No. 10s are known for doing."

Image: Alamy

The 30-year-old has made 27 appearances for the club since signing on loan from Burnley but it appears as though United will not sign him permanently in the summer.

The latest is that United are not planning to snap him up and will instead look to sign a high-quality number nine in the transfer window.

United are now fourth in the Premier League, with Liverpool just one point behind having played a game more.

Topics: Erik Ten Hag, Manchester United, West Ham United, Wout Weghorst

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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