Why Erik ten Hag was wrong to criticise Man United referee for Matthijs de Ligt controversy

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has explained why Sam Barrott was right to force Matthijs de Ligt off the pitch prior to Manchester United falling behind to Brentford at Old Trafford.

Barrott was booed off the field at half-time after he told De Ligt he must go off the pitch for the third time that period due to blood being on his head. As the Dutchman was tended to by the physio, Brentford centre-back Ethan Pinnock powered home a header to give the Bees the lead.

The decision would end up being inconsequential as second-half goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund secured the turnaround for United. Both Erik ten Hag and Ruud van Nistelrooy were booked for their complaints to the officials following the visitor's goal.

READ MORE: The damning reality over De Ligt controversy

READ MORE: United defend reaction to De Ligt head injury

Ten Hag argued post-match that the blood on De Ligt's head was dry and there was thus no need for him to leave the pitch at a critical moment. But explaining on Ref Watch why Barrott was in the right, Gallagher said: "You can’t have a player bleeding, it happened in the 11th minute, he was treated, he had vaseline on his head, he came back, it was felt that the blood was stemmed.

"Obviously with him running it’s opened up again whether he has wiped it with his hand because of the sweat, I don’t know. Again, he went off a second time, and then the third time.

"You can’t let a player play like that, we all know that. It’s a referee’s duty to send him to the touchline to have it covered up, bandaged up in some way.

"At that point they’re down to ten men, the reason we’re talking about it is because a goal resulted from it, but that’s not the referee’s fault. You can’t