Erik ten Hag says he brought Manchester United midfielder Casemiro off during Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool as his side were chasing the game and needed to take risks.
The former Real Madrid star had a poor first half, losing possession on two occasions as Luis Diaz grabbed a brace to put the visiting Reds into a dominant position.
Casemiro was withdrawn after the first 45 minutes and replaced by 20-year-old Toby Collyer but the Red Devils couldn’t force their way back into the encounter, instead seeing Mohamed Salah score again at Old Trafford.
Speaking about the substitution, Ten Hag told Sky Sports: “It is what the team needed. You know when you are 2-0 down against Liverpool you have to take more risks, it will be open. When you are losing you have to take more risks. I have to give compliments to the team. You have to keep fighting and sticking together.
“You know the game and he knows the game. He will go on and we will go on. He’s a great player. We will continue this season to improve the team and the players.
“He improved and has shown so often that he is a great character. We all have seen great moments from him and him be decisive in midfield. He will show that again and will bounce back.”
United slipped to their second league defeat from three games and will have to wait until after the international break to put things right when they visit Southampton.
Ten Hag added: “We made mistakes and they were very clinical in finishing. They did very well.
“If I see all the chances we conceded, I don’t think that’s what happened. We made mistakes. It was all individual errors. Maybe the last one you can debate where our double-six was. Liverpool did brilliant but the goals conceded expectations were not that high.”
