Former England international Stuart Pearce believes that Erik ten Hag’s decision to take off Kobbie Mainoo at half-time in Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest sent out the wrong message to the team.
Manchester United slumped to their ninth defeat in 20 Premier League games when they lost at the City Ground on Saturday evening.
Marcus Rashford got back to scoring ways in the game, but Forest were the better side as Ten Hag’s men continued to struggle for any sort of consistency in the Midlands.
Ten Hag brought off Mainoo for Scott McTominay and Pearce feels that was a poor decision from the Manchester United manager.
He feels it not only left Manchester United defensively exposed, but says that taking off young player off also sent a poor message out to the rest of the team.
The former England international said on Premier League Productions: “When the substitution was made and he took a young kid off, who I think was doing alright, it sends a bad message out.
“I am outside Old Trafford, but he is the one bright thing over the last month or so that has given the club an uplift.
“A young player coming into the team and playing particularly well.
“You take him off and it sends a message out, ‘I have taken the easy way out a bit’.”
For now, Ten Hag is not under any pressure to keep his job given the transition phase the club are undergoing behind the scenes due to the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliff and his team.
