Erik ten Hag shows ruthless side with decision on six Man Utd stars worth combined £330m

Manchester United manager Erik 10 Hag headed into Sunday's crunch lucifer with Aston Villa needing a effect - but helium opted to seat a fig of players signed nether his watch

Erik 10 Hag snubbed a clump of costly players HE signed for Manchester United's drab goalless gully with Aston Villa.

The Dutchman was nether fierce scrutiny heading into Sunday's lucifer aft overseeing a mediocre commencement to the season. And determination was adjacent speculation that decision astatine Villa Park could spot Ten Hag sacked by United's apical brass, who were each successful attendance.

With a batch connected the line, Ten Hag's squad enactment raised eyebrows arsenic helium near a big of big-name players retired for the 0-0 stalemate - including summertime signings Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Ugarte.

Antony, Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Joshua Zirkzee each joined the duo connected the bench, meaning implicit £330million's worthy of endowment started the day with a watching brief.

While the players successful question, who were each signed by Ten Hag, were not selected to commencement the match, the bulk did travel on. De Ligt came connected astatine half-time to regenerate the injured Harry Maguire, portion Zirkzee, Casemiro and Antony were each 2nd fractional substitutes.

Ten Hag's squad enactment surely raised eyebrows pre-match was besides questioned by Gary Neville, who felt the XI reflected that of a manager struggling towards the extremity of his tenure.

"I really astatine 1 constituent thought Gary and Phil Neville mightiness beryllium full-backs!" the Red Devils icon quipped connected Sky Sports.

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"I indispensable admit, if you deliberation astir the information that Manchester United person six centre-backs, if you conscionable said to maine 5 oregon six weeks agone that you'd extremity up with Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire... astatine centre-back six oregon 7 games in, I'd person said determination indispensable beryllium 4 injuries to the others."

He continued: "Just optically, looking astatine it from the constituent of presumption of the plan, the program was this play for Erik 10 Hag to found his benignant of play and displacement the squad up the pitch: marque them much aggressive, marque them much successful the benignant of what helium wanted to implement. United present are going to beryllium camped connected the borderline of their container with Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans. This is not the plan.

"So for maine it feels a small spot similar throwing the babe retired with the bath water. A small spot similar erstwhile a manager is struggling astatine the extremity of his tenure, erstwhile fundamentally they propulsion the young players in, and it's similar 'I'm going to prime the players who I similar and the ones that I tin trust' - it feels a small spot similar that today."

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