Erik ten Hag justifies controversial Man Utd selection decision

Erik ten Hag has insisted his decision to drop Raphael Varane over recent weeks has been purely based on tactical reasons and implied the team’s build-up play is impeded when he and Harry Magure start together.

Varane formed a reliable partnership at the heart of the Manchester United defence last season with Lisandro Martinez, but the latter has been injured for the majority of the campaign and Varane’s form has dropped markedly in 2023/24.

Yet, Ten Hag still surprised fans ahead of the Manchester derby by selecting 35-year-old Jonny Evans at centre-back ahead of the World Cup winner and four-time European champion. In fact, Maguire and Evans have started alongside each other in five of the last seven matches, while Varane has been selected on the bench in all of the last three Premier League matches.

It’s an odd turn of events for the ex-Real Madrid man and Ten Hag was asked ahead of Saturday’s game against Luton Town whether his reason for dropping Varane is based on more than just tactics.

“Absolutely not,” he replied. As I said, it is about tactical reasons why I chose these partnerships. I think Harry and Jonny did well.

“There are moments in certain games where they [Maguire and Varane] can play together and they have already proven they can do it,” he added. “But the build-up is not that fluid when one of them is playing from the left centre-back position because I think Licha [Martinez], obviously, Luke Shaw, obviously [are left-footed]. 

“Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof are right-footed, but they can play really comfortably with their left and make the right angles, then you can construct a better formation where you can start to play.”

Paul Scholes said during the week that he felt Ten Hag prefers Maguire and Evans at present as they are more comfortable with the ball at their feet, but the United boss rejected that suggestion.

“That was never the issue,” he said. “I think Rapha did very well in combination with Licha Martinez. He was brilliant. I can also see good combinations with Rapha Varane and Jonny Evans or with Victor Lindelof. They are very good combinations.”

“Yes, absolutely [Varane is still a first-choice defender],” he continued. “Harry Maguire is doing very well at the moment, and I am very happy with that. As I always said, Harry Maguire can do the job - and now he is showing he can do the job. Rapha Varane always played the games he was available because he was doing that well.”

With Evans missing the Luton game due to injury, Ten Hag will have to make at least one defensive alteration this Saturday, with Varane or Lindelof expected to start alongside Maguire. But regardless of the centre-back pairing this season, United’s defensive record has been shabby, and they have conceded more league goals than 16th-place Everton, as well as 11 from four Champions League group-stage games.

Of United’s 10 senior defenders, only Diogo Dalot hasn’t missed a match through injury this season, with Martinez, Shaw and Tyrell Malacia sitting out almost the entire campaign to date, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Sergio Reguilon have missed long spells, too. It has led to repeated changes in defence, which Ten Hag believes has impacted his team’s form in the early months of the season.

“Every time you have to swap your back four, it is difficult. We had a new keeper coming in and every time you form a new back four and they know the rules and principles, but the routines are not the same.

“Communication is so important, but that is all split-second decisions. You need that cooperation and you need it 100 per cent because when it doesn’t work, then you concede goals at this level."