EPL: Is fatigue to blame for Man United's frustrating draw to Tottenham Hotspur? Erik ten Hag explains
Manchester United had a tiring day out on Thursday when it settled for a frustrating 2-2 draw to Tottenham Hotspur. Meanwhile, while Erik ten Hag was critical of scheduling and fatigue, he refused to accept it as an excuse.
FollowOn Thursday, English giants Manchester United faced off against a struggling Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League (EPL) at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. While the visitors were tipped as a favourite to win, a 2-0 lead at half-time put them in the driver's seat, only for the hosts to recover in the second half and settle for a tiring 2-2 draw.
The draw delayed the Red Devils from taking the third spot, but they remain well in the race for the top three, while Spurs continue to have a task at hand, remaining winless in the last three meetings. Following the stalemate, United head coach Erik ten Hag blasted the scheduling of the club but refused to use it as an excuse for the draw, as he also hit out at three players for the mess.
"We have the worst schedule also in the Premier League, and that will not change. You have to take that. You can't use it as an excuse. The time is enough to recover, so our players must be ready. Today, they were not ready. We thought 90 per cent was enough. That's why we gave balls away. And, when you don't do your jobs in positioning, you concede goals," ten Hag siad, reports Sky Sports.
Defending his substitutions, ten Hag explained, "I prepared the subs before 2-1. You could see that goal coming. You bring on Fred, [with] energy, one who can win the ball. Sunday [vs Brighton], he was brilliant in that. You bring Martial, who can keep the ball. You then bring Rashy [Marcus Rashford], Antony, and Bruno [Fernandes] making runs behind. That was the idea."
