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10th January 2025
10:46am GMT
Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson defended his decision not to play Tyler Young during their 2-0 FA Cup defeat to Everton at Goodison Park.
Pre-match discussions centred on the potential for Everton’s Ashley Young to face his 18-year-old son Tyler, a historic first in the FA Cup’s 154-year history.
Ashley appeared as a substitute in the 73rd minute, but Tyler stayed on the bench.
Ferguson, the son of legendary former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, made his final substitution in the 88th minute with Peterborough trailing 1-0. He opted for a forward instead of Tyler.
The Peterborough manager had the opportunity to bring Young on as a substitute to face his father in what would have been a rare occasion when a father and son faced each other in a competitive game.
He opted against doing so, however, and had no regrets about his decision. Ferguson said an Everton player criticised him for his decision.
"It was tough leaving Tyler on the bench, but I had to prioritise the team," Ferguson explained in his post-match press conference.
"At 1-0, I needed to chase the game. If it had been 2-0, I’d have put him on. One of their players criticised me, but we're not a charity."
The League One side fell to a first-half goal by Beto and a stoppage-time penalty from Iliman Ndiaye in Thursday's third-round tie.
Tyler, who has made one substitute appearance this season, was included in a matchday squad for the first time in 15 games.
His father, Ashley, appeared to express disappointment on X, posting "GUTTED" in capital letters on Friday morning.
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