Why Erik Ten Hag’s Tactics, Not the Players, Are Exposing Manchester United

Manchester United managed to leave FC Porto with a point in a game that, if United had been more defensively compact, they should have won comfortably. The Red Devils held a two-goal lead by the 20th minute thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund, but 15 minutes later, United's defence fumbled and failed to clear crosses into the box, allowing two goals from Pepe and Samu Omorodion.

Yes, United were defensively open, but they also looked fairly threatening for the majority of the first half, with Rashford arguably unplayable as he breezed past Porto defenders, looking like he was going to score every time. The game was 2-2 at halftime, but given Rashford's enthusiasm, it seemed likely that in the second half he would score or assist if he continued to do what he was doing.

Unfortunately, Rashford did not return in the second half as Alejandro Garnacho took his place during the break. Ten Hag later revealed, via Sky Sports, that substitution was down a tactical one, and while it made sense given the United number 10 wasn't quite at his best defensively, he didn't track back as much as he should have, and with Diogo Dalot inverting, United's left-hand side Porto had plenty of space to exploit, which is precisely what they did for their first two goals.

However, if Rashford was taken off due to defensive issues, don't you think the second half was more about tweaking the system (maybe instructing Dalot not to invert) so the on-fire Manchester United winger could continue to torture the hosts defenders?

Question marks about Ten Hag's tactics

We want to defend Ten Hag, but Rashford's substitution again indicates his inability to adapt to the situation. Yes, everything was pre-planned (Garnacho replacing Rashford at halftime). Despite the English forward's excellent first half, which should have convinced him otherwise, the Dutch international went ahead with it.

Fans have repeatedly lambasted Marcus Rashford for not impacting the United attack. Hopefully, the first half against Porto will open people's minds to the fact that Rashford is not and never has been the problem.

Either way, United were lucky. Harry Maguire equalised late on after Porto had grabbed the lead early in the second half, resulting in a 3-3 tie. In that game, one of the key issues was United's defensive openness. And I can't help but feel that the shape and setup of United's team determine how open they are.

Brennan Johnson's goal in the 3-0 loss to Spurs (September 29), as well as the first two Porto goals, highlighted United's vulnerability. If it happens only once, it is a mistake. It's acceptable to make mistakes twice. However, if the problem persists, it is apparent that the approaches are to blame.

Some may believe that the problem is with the players themselves, and that replacing them is the solution. However, despite addressing individual player issues, Ten Hag's style exposes these players, like Lisandro Martinez and Bruno Fernandes (who shine on international duty), and causes United to suffer.

In a game against Porto where United needed goals in the second half, it was perplexing that they took off their most dangerous players, Rashford and Hojlund, who were more likely to score. Ten Hag must perfect his game planning, or things will remain the same, and he may leave United exactly as he found it in 2022.

That said that, a 3-3 draw away at Porto is not that bad; in fact, many would have considered it the most difficult game in Manchester United's Europa League draw.

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