Wout Weghorst was introduced with 20 minutes remaining of Manchester United 's clash with Tottenham.
The Red Devils couldn't hold off the north Londoners comeback, Heung-min Son eventually getting their equaliser, but the Dutchman wasn't brought on to be a target man. Instead, Ten Hag utilised his skillset in the middle of the pitch, often being amongst the deepest of United's players.
The January loanee has by no means lit up the final third, despite playing regular minutes, but remains a trusted lieutenant for Erik ten Hag. United had to adapt their game plan in the second-half and Weghorst is clearly seen by the man in the dugout as a worthy asset.
They dominated the first-half and were good value for their 2-0 lead before Tottenham came out fighting in the second-half with their first goal whipping up the crowd. United needed to try and stem the flow which is exactly where Weghorst came in.
Ten Hag surprised fans when he played the Dutchman in a No 10 type role during the game against Barcelona earlier this season at the Nou Camp. Weghorst linked play and then, out of possession, made himself a nuisance with his size proving an effective defensive weapon.
For all the players available to Ten Hag it seems as if he rates his compatriot's ability to break up the opponent's attacks more than most. Weghorst performed the same role against Tottenham as he did against Barcelona.
Both teams, when playing at their best, are able to sustain pressure by keeping hold of the ball. Weghorst is clearly seen as the kind of man who can disrupt that with Ten Hag utilising him against sides who enjoy large periods of possession.
He has previously talked up the player's ability to play as a No 10, which gives him defensive responsibility. “I think he has intelligence from positions, he is a very good anticipator,” said Ten Hag. “Of course I tell him to [help] linking up there, which he is also doing as a high striker. But in that position, [he is] linking up and getting in front of the goal when crosses are coming in. As for the rest, there is the defending part which he is also very good [at].”
Despite his best efforts, which were somewhat effective, Tottenham did find their equaliser with 11 minutes remaining. That said, the South Korean's strike came thanks to a long header up field that the United defence struggled to deal with. It was not the hosts cutting through United, so Ten Hag may feel that Weghorst's introduction had the desired effect.
Neither side could create a clear cut chance to enable a winner with Weghorst still offering more in defence than he did in attack in the final minutes.
Ten Hag admitted the draw was a disappointment before adding: "Although my opinion was we didn't play that well. We had a lot of chances but we didn't finish. We were not clinical enough, but we scored two times. And then you have to finish the game."
