Ten Hag: Maguire overcame issue at Bournemouth

Speaking after the final whistle at the Vitality Stadium, the United manager said Maguire sustained the problem in the opening 45 minutes but felt better as the contest played out.

The defender went on to feature for the full encounter, as Ten Hag’s men came from behind twice to take a point from the south coast.

“One thing was Harry Maguire had an issue in the first half and for us he overcame [it]” Ten Hag told reporters in his post-match press conference, when asked about how his side struggled to match Bournemouth’s intensity before the break.

“During the game, he recovered from it and you see in the second half, he was up there and then he can express his leadership, he can express his defending qualities and his [ability] on the ball. 

“We needed that in this back four, we lost some balls in areas we shouldn’t lose them. For instance, the first goal, the setup was good, but in that area, you should never lose the ball.”

In the post-match press conference, the boss also suggested that Alejandro Garnacho’s half-time substitution was for a mix of fitness and tactical reasons.

The Argentina international was replaced by Amad on the right flank, with Ten Hag revealing that the former only trained on Friday, in the build-up to the Bournemouth trip.

“I think we had to repair the right side,” Erik explained regarding the half-time switch involving Alejandro. 

“We didn’t play well, the spaces were there in possession and we had to bring a sub there.

“Garnacho was, during the week, also not training. Only yesterday [he trained].

“So, we thought bring some energy and bring some more quality, quality in the sense of cooperation, togetherness on that right side.”