FANS and pundits alike were left stunned by Erik ten Hag’s late emergence from the tunnel during Manchester United’s Carabao Cup clash against Crystal Palace.
The Red Devils squad scurried onto the pitch from their half-time breather leading 2-0 thanks to goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Casemiro.
Ten Hag even made a change at the break, bringing on Victor Lindelof for the impressive Mason Mount.
But while the players appeared and the substitution went ahead, the United boss was nowhere to be seen.
In fact, the second half had been going on for nearly two minutes before a sheepish Ten Hag appeared from the tunnel and dashed along the touchline.
With a knowing smile on his face, the Dutchman faced a few ironic cheers from the crowd.
Sky Sports’ commentary team were left shocked at the mystery absence.
The famously strict boss is a stickler for promptness – even famously dropping Marcus Rashford amid the striker’s purple patch after arriving late to a meeting.
Commentators were left asking “what’s happening here?”, sounding utterly baffled.
But fans reckon they knew what the Old Trafford chief was up to – suggesting he may have been suffering from some digestive problems.
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Dozens of supporters flocked to X, formerly called Twitter, to discuss the Dutchman’s ablutions just days after hosting a BBQ for players and their Wags.
One joked: “Never thought I’d see Erik be late for something in my life!”
Another wrote: “Erik Ten Hag arriving late? S***housery at its finest.”
A third posted: “How’s Erik Ten Hag going to punish himself for tardiness then?”
The entertaining moment reminded fans of ex-Palace star Jason Puncheon’s infamous incident of 2013 – when he had to rush off mid-game in a match between Southampton and Everton.
Duty called as Puncheon took an urgent toilet break, much to the amusement of the crowd who sang: “Jason Puncheon, he went for a s***”.
Weeks later Puncheon joked about the incident as he celebrated a goal by pretending to take a poo, leading to chants of: “He s***s when he wants, Jason Puncheon, he s***s when he wants.”
Man Utd went on to score a third just ten minutes into the second half, as Anthony Martial swept home to kill off the game.
