In the highly anticipated double-red match of the third round of the English Premier League, Manchester United suffered Waterloo at home and lost to Liverpool with a score of 0-3. After the match, United manager Jens Ten Hagar responded in detail to the controversial substitution decisions in the match, especially on why he chose to replace Gana Joe instead of Rashford.
During the match, when Ten Hag decided to replace Gana Joe, who was making his first start, with Amad Diallo in the second half, the decision immediately triggered a strong reaction among United fans, many of whom expressed their dissatisfaction with the substitution decision by booing. However, Ten Hagar stood by his decision and gave a clear explanation in his post-match interview.
Ten Hag said Gana Joe and the other starting striker, Zylkiser, who were both playing their first full game in the Premier League, had not yet reached a level of fitness and match experience that could sustain 90 minutes of high-intensity confrontation. Therefore, for the sake of the team's overall interest and the result of the game, he chose to replace those players who can make an impact at critical moments, such as Amad Diallo.
Ten Hagar also gave his reasons as to why he kept Rashford on the field. He pointed out that although Rashford failed to score directly in the game, his attacking threat and running ability created a lot of chances for the team, especially for Zylkiser, who delivered a few key assists. According to Ten Hagar, Rashford's performance in the game was enough to prove that he deserves to remain on the field and contribute to the team.
