Erik fumes after penalty shout falls on deaf ears
ERIK TEN HAG hit out at the decision not to award Manchester United a penalty in their 2-2 draw with Tottenham yesterday, and claimed that his team have been the victims of injustice this season. Referee John Brooks took no action against Destiny Udogie when he appeared to pull back Alejandro Garnacho in the first half at Old Trafford, and VAR did not intervene either. Ten Hag is still smarting over an incident in United’s defeat at Spurs in August when Cristian Romero handled Garnacho’s shot but escaped unpunished. Asked if he was surprised that Udogie’s challenge did not go to VAR, Ten Hag replied: ‘Yes. What can you do? But I am used to it, all season that is the case. At Spurs there was similar, a clear handball from Romero and I can list a number more. ‘In some point of the season I think it will turn to our side. Let’s hope for that.’ United led twice through Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford, but were pegged back by goals from Richarlison and Rodrigo Bentancur. Ten Hag was unhappy about Richarlison’s header from a corner because he felt his players should have been braver in defending Pedro Porro’s delivery, as they were held in Jim Ratcliffe’s first game at Old Trafford since his £1.3billion investment was confirmed. Ten Hag added: ‘He (Ratcliffe) will have seen a team fighting for each other and trying to get a win. ‘You have seen great goals from our side, but also what he would have noticed is we should have been more manly when we have to defend corners. ‘I think we scored two great goals and we conceded two very soft goals. I have seen some good spells, two goals but also some other chances. You are slightly disappointed when you don’t get the result.’ Scott McTominay had a golden chance to score the winner in stoppage time but headed over as United stayed eight points adrift of Spurs in the race for the top four. ‘I think it was a great ball in from Garnacho and Scott has the right smell to arrive there,’ added Ten Hag. ‘Normally 10 out of 10 he scores such goals.’