Wout Weghorst’s ‘number 10’ role explained by Eric ten Hag
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has explained why he deployed Weghorst in a deeper midfield role. He claimed that it was necessary to make space for others to exploit.
Weghorst joined Manchester United as a replacement for the departing Cristiano Ronaldo.
Despite the striker being brought in to score goals, the Dutchman has found the net just once in eight appearances. However, his unselfish nature has proved to be beneficial for his teammates.
His brilliance at Spotify Camp Nou
Thursday night, the Dutch Manager decided to make some tactical tweaks to his attack line. Thus, he made the bold choice of deploying Weghorst in a ‘number 10’ role during the first leg fixture of the Europa League against Xavi’s Barcelona.
Home-grown Marcus Rashford was playing central with Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes continuously switching wings. Wout himself was tasked to make chaos deep in the midfield and create space for the forwards ahead.
The away fans were left puzzled as they tried to interpret the coach’s decision. Surprisingly, the Red Devils managed to get a 2-2 draw as they walked home happy and confident for the reverse leg.
How did Ten Hag respond?
While talking to BT Sport, Ten Hag said, “It’s not only about Wout, but he did well in that position.”
“It gives a lot of variation but I also want Jadon and Bruno getting in the half spaces and get them on the ball and also make runs from deep. With the full-backs joining in, we had a lot of chances and a lot of opportunities and we should have won this game.”
The Dutch manager was satisfied with the result however, he was furious about the refereeing decisions. Especially for the tackle Joules Kounde put in on Rashford yet escaped a penalty shout.
“I was a little bit disappointed that at half-time it was 0-0 because we should have scored and the opportunities they had, we created ourselves,” Ten Hag explained. “But I think it was a great game. Two attacking teams. I think it was a Champions League game, even more than that, so I really enjoyed the game. In the end…2-2 and we have to finish it in Old Trafford.
“Then we turn around when are down, and I also think the refereeing had a big influence in this game. I think it’s a clear foul on Rashford. You can discuss if it’s in or outside the box, but then it’s a red card because he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper. It’s a big influence, not only on this game but in this round, and referees can’t make such mistakes.”
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