Erik ten Hag expressed his disappointment with Marcus Rashford's role in the defensive lapses that led to Porto's first goal in Manchester United's 3-3 draw, but clarified that the forward's substitution at halftime was not a punitive measure. Instead, he emphasized the need to rotate his squad. United had surged to a 2-0 lead within the first 20 minutes at Estádio do Dragão thanks to goals from Rashford and Rasmus Højlund, only to see Porto equalize through Pepê and Samu within a span of seven first-half minutes. Pepê's goal originated from a cross along Rashford's left flank, prompting questions about the decision to replace him with Alejandro Garnacho.
Ten Hag explained, "I need to review the match again, but clearly, our defense on the left side was inadequate tonight. Marcus was involved, but the substitution was about bringing Garnacho on—nothing personal against Rashford. We needed to rotate. We have a demanding game on Sunday [at Villa Park] and we need our players fresh." Ten Hag revealed that during the halftime break, he addressed the team's defensive issues, only to see Samu score again just five minutes into the second half.
"It's extremely frustrating when we address these issues at halftime and then concede the third goal so quickly, which was unnecessary," Ten Hag said. "Our defense was again subpar, and it also reflects a lack of commitment. However, I must commend the team for their resilience: how they fought back, how they found a way to equalize." This equalizer came in stoppage time through a Harry Maguire header, following Bruno Fernandes' dismissal for the second consecutive game. A post-match debrief was conducted in the United dressing room.
Ten Hag, who is under pressure to save his job after a challenging start to the season, welcomed the comeback. He stated, "Don't judge us based on this moment. I assess our performance at the end of the season. We are in a development phase. Just wait. We need to build this team. We will work and continue. We will fight."
