Manchester United drew 1-1 with Burnley in the Premier League. It was not the most thrilling or memorable of encounters.
Antony got the goal for Manchester United when he expertly stole a loose ball and dispatched past the Burnley goalkeeper in the 79th minute. It looked like that would be the same winner.
That was until just under 10 minutes later when Andre Onana clattered into Zeki Amdouni, giving away a penalty – to which Amdouni nearly dispatched, meaning the points were shared at Old Trafford.
There weren’t many star performers, although Manchester United fans were unhappy when one of their usual big names left the turf earlier than anticipated.
Kobbie Mainoo substituted early again
In just the 65th minute of the game, Erik ten Hag decided to make his first substitute of the game. A double one in fact.
It was youngsters Rasmus Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo who both came off, which did not exactly delight the Old Trafford faithful.
A chorus of boos rang around the Manchester United stadium, seemingly very upset that the Manchester United academy graduate had been subbed off so early, especially at 0-0.
Rasmus Hojlund reacts to Kobbie Mainoo substitute
Eagle-eyed fans caught the moment United’s £64m signing saw that Mainoo was set to be the player to come off with him.
Hojlund pulls a face which looks extremely surprised with the choice. He was also most like shocked at the boos ringing around the ground, so his face could have also been suggesting his surprise at the fans’ reaction. It’s tough to tell.
The Manchester United manager had his say on the matter.
Erik ten Hag getting unfair criticism for this
Erik ten Hag went on to say after the fixture how he was simply managing Mainoo’s minutes, which we believe is justified.
Despite his obvious integral nature to the side, United fans have to remember that Mainoo is still a kid, and is at severe risk of burning out with too much game time.
Yes, it would be good to have him on the pitch at all times, but with important fixtures still ahead, managing his minutes is important.
Ten Hag has gotten a lot of decisions wrong in recent months, but this decision wasn’t one of them.