Ten Hag explains why he picked Maguire and Johnny Evans for crucial Villa test

1 month ago 4

Erik ten Hag made some surprising picks in his squad to face Aston Villa in an away Premier League game at Villa Park
The embattled Manchester United manager is under increased pressure after a string of poor performances
His preferred centre-back pairing of Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs De Ligt were omitted from the starting XI

Erik ten Hag named an interesting line-up to take on Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, even as rumours continue to swirl over his future.

Ten Hag is walking on a tightrope, with many reports indicating the test at Villa will be his last attempt to save his job.

Erik ten Hag, Aston Villa vs Manchester United, Matthijs De Ligt, Lisandro Martinez

Heading into the game, the Red Devils were languishing in 14th place after collecting only seven points from their first six games. Their forays in Europe haven't been promising either, with Ten Hag's charges picking up two points from their first two Europa League games.

Ten Hag explains De Ligt, Martinez's choices

The former Ajax manager dropped Matthijs De Ligt and Lisandro Martinez, and Harry Maguire and Johnny Evans took their positions.

"It’s just rotation. We’ve so many games to cover, so we have to bring them all in," Ten Hag explained as quoted by MEN.

The Dutch manager was also unfazed in the wake of the mounting pressure.

"“Pressure? Every game is important, so don’t make it too big. We are calm and composed. We need to improve."

Will Erik ten Hag be sacked?

The Red Devils battled out to a goalless stalemate in the end but remain in 14th place on the Premier League table. Aston Villa are tied with Chelsea on 14 points, but Unai Emery's side are fifth due to an inferior goal difference.

The club's hierarchy of owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth, technical director Jason Wilcox and legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson were all present at Villa Park.