"It Was Tactical And I Don't Regret It" - Erik ten Hag Clarifies Tactical Decision to Substitute Kobbie Mainoo at Half-Time Against Nottingham Forest

Manchester United Coach Erik ten Hag Provides Insight Into the Midfield Substitution During Nottingham Forest Clash

Manchester United faced a 2-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest in their final match of the year, prompting scrutiny from fans as Erik ten Hag substituted 19-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo at half-time.

Despite criticism, Manager Erik ten Hag stands by his decision, emphasizing the need for renewed energy. He stated, "I thought the energy was a little bit lower than the other two games this week, therefore we brought some new energy in. I don't regret."

Explaining further, ten Hag highlighted the positive impact of Scott McTominay, who replaced Mainoo at half-time, contributing to an improved second-half performance. Regarding the first goal, ten Hag clarified, "When you analyze it properly, we were downsized. Nothing to do with the central midfield there."

The tactical substitution occurred in a goalless first half, but Manchester United faced setbacks with two goals from Dominguez in the 64th minute and Morgan Gibbs-White in the 82nd minute. Although Marcus Rashford equalized, Nottingham Forest regained the lead through a counter-attack.

Reflecting on the second goal, ten Hag mentioned, "The second goal was a counter-attack where there was a miscommunication. We had enough players, and in the first half, there were moments where Forest ran away. It's good play, but we should have tracked that."