Man Utd icon baffled by key Erik ten Hag decision during defeat vs Man City

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has questioned Erik ten Hag's in-game management during Sunday's 3-1 defeat at Manchester City.

United took an early lead at the Etihad with Marcus Rashford firing home against the run of play, but City went through the gears as the first-half wore on, pushing the visitors further and further back. Phil Foden netted twice after the break before Erling Haaland secured the result in second-half added-time.

Shortly after Foden's second goal made it 2-1, Ten Hag decided to take off Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho despite being in need of a goal during the final 10 minutes. Marcus Rashford and Jonny Evans were forced off just before but the latter changes only made things worse, with substitute Sofyan Amrabat's mistake leading to the third and final goal.

 "I thought as the game progressed that the team fell in a little too deep. For my liking, I would have pushed them up a little bit,” Schmeichel told talkSPORT. "And also then, when you need to change the game and they have equalised and scored again, the substitutions that you make.

"You take all your pace out, you take your driving force out of midfield off? You take your best defender off? I don't get that. Are they being rested for the next game? I really don't get the substitutions. When you look at what Pep's doing, he is only taking off two players. Generally, he doesn't substitute a lot."

Ten Hag did reveal after full-time that the withdrawals of Rashford and Evans were enforced, with both fighting through minor issues during the week in order to be available. United were already without nine senior players for the derby and had no natural striker or left-back.

With elimination from the Champions League easing the fixture schedule, Ten Hag does have the full week to assess Rashford, Evans and several other absentees ahead of Saturday's visit of Everton to Old Trafford.