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Manchester United fans are puzzled by Erik ten Hag's decision not to start Mason Mount against FC Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League tonight (October 24).
Mount joined the Red Devils from Chelsea in the summer in a £60 million deal. The English attacker has made a slow start to life at Old Trafford, managing one assist in seven games across competitions.
However, the England international knows Europe's elite club competition well from his time at Stamford Bridge. He won the trophy in 2021, bagging the assist for Kai Havertz in a 1-0 final win against Manchester City.
Many were backing the 24-year-old to start in Manchester United's crucial clash against Danish side Copenhagen tonight. Ten Hag's men are bottom of Group A after suffering defeats to Bayern Munich and Galatasaray.
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However, Ten Hag has opted to name Mount on the bench, instead starting Antony in attack alongside Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford. Hojlund is the competition's current top scorer with three goals in two games.
Meanwhile, the in-form Scott McTominay starts again in midfield alongside Bruno Fernandes and Sofyan Amrabat. Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, and Sergio Reguilon are in defense, with Andre Onana once again chosen in goal.
The clash against Copenhagen seemed to be the perfect opportunity for Mount to impress but he'll have to do so from the bench. One fan is stunned by Ten Hag's decision not to start him:
"Why is Mount benched again? He deserves to start, I don’t get it."
Another fan was just as perplexed:
"I genuinely can’t believe that Mount is getting benched by (Mctominay) rn, this is egregious."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Mount once again not starting for Manchester United in their encounter with Copenhagen:
Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly intends to keep Erik ten Hag on as Manchester United manager
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's potential purchase of a 25% stake in Manchester United will likely see him oversee sporting decisions. One decision that many have pondered is the future of current manager Ten Hag.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claims that a change in directors is expected to take place under Ratcliffe. However, there isn't thought to be an intention to change coach as Ten Hag is appreciated by the higher-ups at Old Trafford.
The Dutch tactician was appointed United boss in May 2022 and oversaw a third-placed finish and a Carabao Cup triumph last season. The Red Devils showed vast improvement from their disastrous sixth-placed finish in the 2021-22 campaign.
However, Manchester United have nosedived at the start of this season, losing six games across competitions. They carved out vital 2-1 wins against Brentford and Sheffield United last time out though.
Ten Hag has two years left on his contract with United. He's dealt with many issues during his tenure such as Cristiano Ronaldo's unceremonious departure and a falling out with Jadon Sancho.
