"This is not the plan" - Gary Neville questions Ten Hag's decision to bench 2 Manchester United stars for Aston Villa clash
Manchester United legend Gary Neville has questioned Erik ten Hag's team selection for the Red Devils' away fixture against Aston Villa on Sunday, October 6. The Dutchman has named Hary Maguire and Jonny Evans at the heart of the defense against Unai Emery's side in what could be a game to potentially decide his future.
Ten Hag is under all sorts of pressure following a dismal start to the season by Manchester United. The Red Devils have won just two of their first six league games, losing three and are 14th in the table ahead of the game.
With his future hanging in balance due to his side's poor run of form, Ten Hag has made several changes to his side against Aston Villa. Pundit Gary Neville called out the Dutchman for naming the centre-back pairing of Maguire and Evans in such a big game.
Neville suggested that Ten Hag was supposed to establish an attractive style of play at Old Trafford. However, he reckons that things are certainly not going according to plan. The former Manchester United right-back said, as quoted by UtdDistrict on X (formerly Twitter):
"Manchester United have six centre-backs. If you'd have said five weeks ago you'd end up with Maguire and Evans, I'd say there must be injuries."
"De Ligt and Martinez have been dumped to the bench. The plan was for Ten Hag to establish a style of play. This is not the plan," Neville added.
Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt have been Ten Hag's preferred centre-back duo this season. However, both the players have flattered to deceive thus far which is probably why Ten Hag has now benched both.
Manchester United plotting a £42 million move for Aston Villa star: Reports
Manchester United are reportedly considering a £42 million move to land Spanish defender Pau Torres from Aston Villa. As reported by Spanish outlet Fichajes.net, Erik ten Hag views the former Villarreal star as a player who can bolster his leaky defence.
Pau Torres has been excellent for Aston Villa since joining the Midlands club in 2023 in a reported £31.5 million deal from Villarreal. The Spaniard has shown his all-round game as a centre-back, both physically and technically.
The centre-back has made 47 appearances across competitions for Aston Villa till date while earning 24 caps for Spain. He was a part of the UEFA Europa League winning side with Villarreal in 2020-21 and also finished runners-up with Spain in the UEFA Nations League 2020-21.