Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has hit back at the supporters for booing his decision to take off Kobbie Mainoo against Burnley.
The Red Devils' disappointing Premier League campaign continued after they drew 1-1 with relegation-threatened Clarets.
Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund was taken off after 65 minutes, with crowd at Old Trafford expressing their displeasure with boos.
Read: Man Utd denied victory by Foster's Burnley
Despite dropping points, Ten Hag has defended his decision to withdraw the highly-rated teenager.
"What the crowd doesn't understand is it's a 19-year-old boy [Mainoo] in his first Premier League season. It was a third game in a week and we have to manage the game load. We don't want him to be injured. Last year, he had two bad injuries. You can see he gets tired. I want to protect him," Ten Hag said, as per Goal.
"Of course, by bringing Scott on, the game was really open, really intense with one-on-ones all over the pitch. Kobbie got tired and Scott had fresh legs and is very good, making movements and attacks down the middle."
"I have to manage the team and I have to, of course, be winning games. That's first of all and see what the game needs. By that time, we needed some freshness, first of all. But also tactical wise, brining a player up who can keep the ball and who is creative in Amad.
"So they were subbed and it was the right decision. You see, after, we took some benefit from it, by bringing in the fresh legs and Scott in the position where it's so open. He's very good in such situations and he can make penetrations from there. That also happened. We put ourselves in a winning position. We had three games and Burnley have had days off and it's totally logical to bring players off who are very young, who are in the first year in the Premier League and then don't even talk about the injury risk.
"Rasmus Hojlund had more injuries already in the course of this season. Kobbie also had some injuries. So I don't want them to get injured. I protected them as well. So there are more reasons to make the subs but I understand that the fans, they want to see the skills those players are bringing and contribute to the team. I understand that but I have to do my job and that is the right decision."
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