Erik ten Hag Clarifies Heated Argument With Anthony Martial After Losing 1-0 to Newcastle United – “You Are a Little Bit More Aggressive and That Is Normal”

Manchester United are back to square one after losing 1-0 to Newcastle United. However, the incident that made the headlines was the argument between Erik ten Hag and Anthony Martial. After the game, the Red Devils manager clarified that there was no issue between both of them.

The coach took the risk of starting Antony Martial against Newcastle United. However, the decision did not work out, as they lost 1-0 to Newcastle United. Martial looked frustrated as he had a heated argument with ten Hag at the half-time whistle. But the Dutchman later clarified what happened.

Erik ten Hag speaks on his argument with Antony Martial during the match against Newcastle

In the post-match press conference, ten Hag said, “It’s not about Anthony Martial. It’s about the team. You try to energize the team; you try to get a reaction from the team at this moment. You see, we had a tough period, so, in your coaching, you are a little bit more aggressive, and that is normal.”

Newcastle United dominated Manchester United in the first half. There were also times when the forwards had to track back the wingbacks of the Magpies. Hence, the forwards spent most of the first half in their box. The defensive tactics didn’t work, as Newcastle scored in the 55th minute through Anthony Gordon. In the whole game, the team was all over the place, and ten Hag also failed to get any positive reaction.

ManU will have to start improving their performances before it is too late. The upcoming fixtures in the Premier League will be very crucial for them as they chase the top 4.

Did ten Hag get it all wrong from the selection of the team?

There were expectations that Antony might get a chance to start the game after his performance against Galatasaray. However, ten Hag decided to stick with Rashford on the right wing. This decision did not go well, as Newcastle left-back Tino Livramento did not give Marcus Rashford any space. Alejandro Garnacho was the only positive in both the halves.

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The defense also had to put in last-ditch challenges to avoid conceding more goals. Newcastle’s midfield, consisting of 17-year-old Lewis Miley, dominated the United midfield. This showed that they had more ambition to win than Manchester United. They only started creating chances as Antony and Rasmus Højlund came on.

Manchester United will face Chelsea in their next Premier League fixture. The expectations will be high on the coach to make changes to the team after the poor performance.

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