Man United’s Mourinho Explains Decision Not To Debut Tahith Chong In Juventus Game
Manchester United’s coach Jose Mourinho explained some of the tactical decisions that he made during the game against Juventus. One of the questions fans wanted answered was the coach’s decision not to substitute Tahith Chong even when United needed an equalizing goal against the soccer giants.
Talk Sport confirmed that some Man United fans were shedding “tears of joy” after the news broke that 18-year-old Tahith Chong was included in the squad against Juventus. The Dutch teenager is widely regarded as a future star because of his unusual style. The winger is left-footed but plays from the right which is a huge advantage in a right-foot dominated sport, and he has a keen eye for possible goals. But Chong did not debut at Old Trafford during the Group H match against Juventus on Tuesday evening.
Mourinho had plenty of options on the bench but did not make any substitutions during the match. Manchester Evening News reports that he had the likes of Ander Herrera, Fed, Andreas Pereira, and Chong at his disposal. However, Chong was his only attacking option, but he didn’t feel that the young player had enough experience to face the likes of a Juventus squad who was in top form and raring to win.
The boss has explained why he didn't make any substitutions in last night's game. #MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 24, 2018
“The only attacking option I had on the bench was an 18-year-old lad who I had never played in the first-team before. And I didn’t think, given the dynamic of the game, that it would have been appropriate to have put him on.”
Juventus beat Man United 1-0 in their bid for an eight successive Serie A title and are truly in a class of their own. Man United was consistently on the back foot as Juventus attacked relentlessly. Only the brilliant saves from David de Gea prevented a larger margin of defeat at Man United’s home stadium.
“You can’t expect a young kid, making his debut in a game like that, to give you something or perhaps score a goal, so that’s why we didn’t make any changes and stuck with the players we had on the pitch.
“We play against one of the biggest really biggest candidates to win the Champions League…”
One of the biggest reasons for Juventus’ winning streak is none other than Cristiano Ronaldo, who they paid €112 million in July this year. This time around, Ronaldo received a much cooler reception from Manchester United fans at Old Trafford as a recent rape allegation overshadows the player’s stellar performance on the field. The soccer star nevertheless thanked his faithful fans when he returned to his old home ground for the match, according to Goal.
"The boys tried hard, they deserved a different result. A point would have been fair." #MUFC pic.twitter.com/FPTgiXKSb7
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 23, 2018
