Man Utd fans furious over one Erik ten Hag decision in Fulham defeat

Manchester United fans were left furious with Erik ten Hag over one tactical decision during their 2-1 defeat to Fulham.

United went into the clash off the back of four consecutive Premier League wins, with four of those coming away from Old Trafford.

It was also the first game since the club announced that Sir Jim Ratcliffe had acquired a minority share of around 27.7 per cent in the club.

And while Ratcliffe wasn't present at Old Trafford to see his boyhood club take on Fulham, his key INEOS ally Sir Dave Brailsford was in the directors' box.

The match didn't pan out as either man would have hoped, with United going 1-0 down on 65 minutes through Calvin Bassey's goal.

Harry Maguire's close-range goal made it 1-1 on 89 minutes, sparking hope that Ten Hag's side might pull off another memorable Old Trafford comeback.

But Alex Iwobi struck in the sixth minute of stoppage time to secure a priceless victory for the Cottagers, who had 17 shots at Andre Onana's goal throughout the contest.

And while United's performance left a lot to be desired among fans, there was also criticism of Ten Hag for one of his substitutions.

In the 80th minute, Ten Hag decided to take off midfielder Kobbie Mainoo and replace him with Amad Diallo to give United more attacking impetus.

And while supporters praised the Dutchman for giving Amad an opportunity, some were critical of the player he chose to take off - especially as Casemiro had already been substituted due to injury.

Taking to X (Twitter), one United fan wrote: "He subbed out Mainoo for Amad. Bruno was right there..."

Another said: "I don't get this Eriksen sub man, he could've just kept Mainoo on."

A third exclaimed: "Mainoo is the one holding the midfield, yet he was taken off..."

⬅️ Kobbie Mainoo
➡️ @AmadDiallo_19 #MUFC || #MUNFUL pic.twitter.com/ZjrDYVUKS7

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 24, 2024

A fourth wrote: "Every time Mainoo gets subbed early, we lose."

And a fifth added: "Swear it was Mainoo who buried a 95th minute winner the other day. Not my choice to be subbed."

There were other fans, though, who understood Ten Hag's choice, with one writing: "I struggle to find fault with the subs, Mainoo can't play every minute."

The United boss has admitted to substituting Mainoo on previous occasions to manage his workload - although many fans clearly think he should have stayed on the pitch for the full game against Fulham.