Erik ten Hag rages over Matthijs de Ligt name earlier than Brentford aim vs Man Utd

Manchester United were left seething when Matthijs de Ligt was ordered off the pitch just before Brentford scored at Old Trafford.

The Dutch defender had a rough time against the Bees on Saturday afternoon, picking up a head wound in the first half and needing medical attention several times. Before Brentford could whip in a corner, referee Sam Barrott sent De Ligt to the touchline again as his cut reopened.

With blood pouring from his head, he could only watch on as Ethan Pinnock nodded home from the resulting set-piece, putting the visitors ahead. United’s players were quick to give the ref an earful for making De Ligt leave the field.

But their protests were ignored, and the goal stood, with manager Erik ten Hag, already under huge pressure after United’s woeful start to the season, raging on the touchline and joining in with the moaning. De Ligt’s stint at Old Trafford has been anything but smooth since his move from Bayern Munich in the summer, with his displays drawing flak, but this was out of his control.

Chris Sutton weighed in on the drama on BBC Radio 5 Live, reports the Mirror. The pundit said: “Ruud van Nistelrooy and Erik ten Hag having a word with the fourth official. Manchester United can moan as much as they like. It’s a head injury and De Ligt is right to go off.

“It takes nothing away from the goal, it was a brilliant header from Ethan Pinnock. Casemiro should do better he doesn’t read the flight of the ball very well.”

Leon Osman added: “There’s a huge second half coming up for Erik ten Hag and Manchester United. Manchester United had felt their way into the game. Brentford had the better of the play in the early exchanges. It is a pretty average performance from Man Utd and everybody expects more.

“I don’t think Manchester United have a point here. That is the third occasion that Matthijs de Ligt has had to go off because of this cut to his head. Two previous times they have failed to secure the wound, whether that be to stitch it or put a substitution on.

“We had been asking for five or ten minutes before the goal, ‘how is he still on the pitch? ‘ The blood is pouring down his face so the referee has to send him off the pitch. On top of that the marking from Dalot is poor.”

However, things improved for United after the break, with Alejandro Garnacho equalising from a Marcus Rashford cross, before captain Bruno Fernandes set up Rasmus Hojlund to fire the home side ahead.