TEN HAG BANNED
United’s ice-cool Dutchman shows the strain as he rants at linesman over a throw-in!
ERIK ten Hag has been hit with a touchline ban as the pressure of Manchester United’s disappointing start to the season told in a nervy 1-0 win over Luton at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag (right) received his third booking of the campaign after hotly disputing two late throw-ins during eight minutes injury time.
The Dutchman is automatically banned for United’s next Premier League game away at Everton on November 26.
Explaining his surprising outburst, Ten Hag said after Victor Lindelof’s second-half winner: ‘It was about a moment so clear, a throw-in, but it was the second time.
‘It was obviously our ball. I made a remark and I got booked.’ Ten Hag, whose other cautions came against Arsenal and Spurs, said he wouldn’t fine himself because he only fines players if they get red cards.
And there was also huge relief that United reached the finish line in Alex Ferguson’s first visit to the stadium since the death of his wife, Cathy, last month. United have had a difficult few weeks after back-to-back 3-0 home defeats by Manchester City and Newcastle. And their late collapse against Copenhagen on Wednesday left them rock bottom of their Champions League group.
They have won their last two league games — they squeezed past Fulham last week — but there may be further injury woes with Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund substituted yesterday. Ten Hag will hope they don’t join Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia on the club’s growing casualty list. Eriksen was withdrawn on 40 minutes after appearing to hurt his knee while Hojlund departed near the end of the game with muscular discomfort.
‘We do an assessment but have to wait for 24 hours to see the conclusion,’ said Ten Hag. ‘You don’t want to lose any player and it is the same for Christian Eriksen, but this is also our season, so many injuries. [It affects] the levels in your team.
‘Hopefully the players are coming back and the new injuries are not too bad.’
ALEX FERGUSON’S matchday companion Sam Allardyce could not stifle a huge yawn as the Premier League’s biggest club struggled to break down the smallest.
In the end, the unlikely source of Victor Lindelof earned Erik ten Hag a badly needed three points with his first goal in almost three years — but it wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t convincing.
The roar that greeted the Swede’s 59th-minute breakthrough was more out of relief than ecstasy. Ditto the final whistle.
Luton had not taken a point at Old Trafford since 1897, losing all 18 visits since, but they would not have come closer than yesterday despite the mismatch in budgets.
United will point to the lion’s share of possession and good chances spurned by Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho. But Luton will also rue an outstanding save by United keeper Andre Onana to deny Carlton Morris with the score 0-0.
Somehow United are now within three points of a top-four spot, though that gap could be extended again today should Liverpool win.
It was nice for Fergie to see his team win on his first match back since the death of his wife Cathy at the start of last month.
But Big Sam’s instinctive reaction midway through the first half, captured by the cameras after Garnacho had shot over, indicates that the Theatre of Dreams can feel like the Theatre of Sleep at times.
If there is any criticism of Ten Hag, who has credit in the bank for exceeding expectations in his first season, is that he does not push enough players forward to help Hojlund against a very low block.
The Dane was surrounded by four defenders at times. He still has not scored a Premier League goal and went off near the end with an injured leg.
His Dutch manager must be feeling the frustration, earning his third booking of the season at the finale for arguing with the officials. He will also hope the diagnosis for Hojlund, and Christian Eriksen who was also withdrawn, is not too bad given he is already missing Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw, with Jadon Sancho banished from the first team.
United needed an early goal to settle nerves but Hojlund failed to deliver after 10 minutes.
Marcus Rashford, deployed largely on the right on his 250th Premier League appearance, whipped in a cross but the centreforward could not adjust his body
in time inside the six-yard box.
The ball hit his thigh allowing Thomas Kaminski to make a sharp reflex save. It made Old Trafford edgy and the mood was not improved when Luton almost managed a smash-and-grab approaching half-time.
Bruno Fernandes ran into trouble inside his own half and Andros Townsend delivered an excellent cross towards the penalty spot.
Morris found space between Lindelof and Maguire and his powerful header was destined for the corner until Onana leapt to his left and clawed the ball away.
Eriksen had to limp off after 40 minutes to be replaced by Mason Mount. Almost immediately, Hojlund slipped a pass to Garnacho who cut inside Kaminski but then hesitated and could not put away the chance.
Hojlund squandered another with a mistimed a header from
Fernandes’ free-kick early in the second half. If Jim Ratcliffe was watching ahead of his anticipated takeover of football operations, he would have seen surgery is needed.
But even bad United carry enough individual quality to seize moments. Rashford fizzed in a cross-shot into the six-yard box. Scott McTominay made a nuisance of himself and then jumped out of the way as Lindelof smashed the ball into the roof of the net in front of the Stretford End. It was his first goal since December 2020.
‘I don’t score many goals and when I do it is fun,’ he said. ‘The most important thing was getting the points and thankfully we got that today.’
Rashford, who had now switched to left, was foiled by Kaminski when put through with a chance to add United’s second. McTominay’s header from Fernandes’ cross was tipped by the keeper.
All of Ten Hag’s league wins this season have been hard work but at least the points total is clicking along. ‘We had four 100 per cent chances to score,’ he said. ‘There will be a day we start scoring again. It will come. Meanwhile, it is good
that we have already 13 different scorers. It shows the way we want to attack.
‘It would be better for composure, for the calmness, for the manager, coaches and team if we score early on, but if you don’t you have to keep going.
‘I have to compliment the team that they kept going, stayed organised and didn’t give anything away.’
After picking up a third booking of the season for dissent, Ten Hag is automatically banned for United’s next Premier League game at Everton on November 26, after the international break. He will hope Hojlund (muscular) and Eriksen (knee) are not absent as well.
‘Christian slipped,’ said the United manager. We have to do an assessment, set a diagnosis, then the conclusion. The we will know where we are. It’s the same with [Hojlund]. You don’t want to lose any player but that is our season.’
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): Onana 7; Dalot 6, Maguire 7.5, Lindelof 6.5, Reguilon 6 (Varane 79min); McTominay 7, Eriksen 5.5 (Mount 40, 6.5); Rashford 6.5, Fernandes 6.5, Garnacho 6 (Antony 68, 6); Hojlund 6 (Martial 79). Subs (not used): Bayindir, Amrabat, Hannibal, Pellistri, Mainoo.
LUTON (5-3-2): Kaminski 7; Kabore 6 (Adebayo 87), Menji 6, Lockyer 7, Osho 6.5, Doughty 7 (Clark 71, 6); Townsend 7 (Chong 61 6), Nakamba 6 (Mpanzu 86), Barkley 5.5, Ogbene 6 (Giles 86); Morris 7. Booked: Kabore, Lockyer. Subs (not used): Krul, Berry, Ruddock, Brown, Nelson.
Referee: G Scott (Oxfordshire) 7.