Siddharth Juyal
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is happy to be booed for Rasmus Højlund’s substitution
In his post-match press conference(h/t Manchester United’s official website), Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag expressed his satisfaction with the fans’ reaction. He did so when he substituted Rasmus Højlund during the Premier League game against Brighton & Hove Albion, which Brighton won 1-3 at Old Trafford after the international break.
The result extends United’s disappointing start to the season, marked by their third loss in five Premier League matches. They will conclude Saturday in 13th place and could potentially drop further as some clubs have yet to play on Matchday 5.
United fans booed the Dutchman when, in the 64th minute of the game, he substituted Højlund for Anthony Martial. At that point, United was trailing 0-2, and Højlund appeared to be the liveliest player among the struggling team.
In his post-match press conference(h/t Manchester United’s official website), Ten Hag addressed the crowd’s reaction, stating:
“I think it was very good that Hojlund, obviously the crowd embraced his first performance, his first performance at Old Trafford, which is very good, when you bring in a new player and he gets this reception. Everyone is excited by it and I think he performed very well so we are happy.”
The 20-year-old Danish striker came close to equalizing for the Red Devils in the 40th minute of the first half. United winger Marcus Rashford initiated a darting run on the left flank to set up Højlund for a clinical finish.
Much to Højlund’s and the Red Devils’ fans’ dismay, VAR disallowed the goal after reviewing it, a process that occurred after the striker had finished celebrating. Regrettably, Rashford had released the ball just after crossing the left byline, resulting in a goal-kick for Brighton.
Højlund can take pride in his overall performance, and United fans would likely comprehend the reason for his substitution. The Danish international had recently recovered from a back injury, which could explain the decision.
Ten Hag was simply safeguarding his striker, ensuring that fans could witness his full potential once he was completely match-fit to complete the game.
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Højlund stood out as one of the few positives from what we consider a disappointing home result. Ten Hag certainly has his work cut out for him, but based on this performance, he may feel confident in relying on his new Danish signing.
