Man Utd fans sympathize with coach Ten Hag
A video from the stands shows most fans standing up and applauding when the Dutch coach, after Man Utd lost 1-3 to Brighton on September 16.
The audience's actions are not new at Old Trafford, as they followed recent coaches like Jose Mourinho or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer even though they did not achieve good results. But this is also contrary to what happened during and immediately after the match.
After the final whistle, thousands of empty seats appeared in the stands at Old Trafford, and many whistles and boos rang out. When coach Ten Hag withdrew striker Rasmus Hojlund from the field to bring in Anthony Martial, many people also whistled and protested.
The 53-year-old coach is still supported by the audience, as Man Utd did not play too badly in the first half but wasted the opportunity and then conceded. Coach Roberto De Zerbi also said that Brighton was surprised by Man Utd's approach to the match, when the team rotated from the familiar 4-3-3 formation to a 4-4-2 with a diamond-shaped midfield. However, there were many situations where Man Utd players played without teammates, and Brighton took advantage of each opportunity to score three goals.
Former striker Alan Shearer also sympathized with Ten Hag, when Man Utd was having many problems at the top. "Whether the Glazer family will sell Man Utd or not, that question will affect the team's performance on the field," said the Premier League's top scorer. "Ten Hag and the audience both need to know what's going on."
The Glazer family put Man Utd up for sale nearly a year ago, and since then many billionaires have bid. The two brightest candidates are Britain's richest man, Jim Ratcliffe, and Qatari billionaire Jassim Al Thani. But American owners do not want to sell Man Utd, while the team's results are still erratic.
Ten Hag and his team will be guests at Bayern's Allianz Arena in the next match, the first round of the Champions League group stage on the evening of September 20. Three days later, they had a chance to regain victory in the Premier League when they met host Burnley.
