“It’s confusing” - Rio Ferdinand hits out at Manchester United boss Ten Hag for ‘hard’ decision on Red Devils star
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has hit out at Erik ten Hag for benching Marcus Rashford against Crystal Palace on Saturday, September 21, in the Premier League. The English forward arrived at the game in red-hot form, with three goals and one assist in his last two games.
Rashford scored his first goal of the season against Southampton in the fourth game of the league on September 14. He followed it up with a brace and an assist in the Red Devils' 7-0 win over Barnsley in the EFL Cup in midweek.
However, Ten Hag opted to keep him on the bench against the Eagles, starting Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Dialo either side of Joshua Zirkzee. Manchester United dominated the game but struggled to find a breakthrough. Rashford came on in the second half but failed to have an impact, as the game ended 0-0.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand pointed out that goal scoring has been a problem for the Red Devils.
"Talking of rotation, following the game against Palace, Man United are third in terms of xG, only bettered by Man City and Liverpool. So they’re creating the chances but not scoring the goals," said Ferdinand.
Ferdinand went on to state that it was wrong for Ten Hag to rotate his squad, especially since Marcus Rashford had momentum on his side.
"When you’ve got a man in form like Marcus Rashford, who’s coming into a bit of form and momentum which is key for any player and their confidence, I’m thinking is it the right time now to rotate?" said Ferdinand.
He continued:
"We’re creating chances and you take out the guy who is actually starting to score. I just look at that and think, wow. It was pleasing to see the manager come out and say it was rotation, nothing else, because there was some murmurings around it."
He concluded:
"But Marcus Rashford man, I think he will be sitting there thinking 'I’ve just hit a bit of form and they’ve taken me out'. That confuses me, it’s confusing. But then again Garnacho has been one of the most productive players and has been causing havoc. And Amad is playing well. So it’s a hard one."
Manchester United have won two and lost two of their five games in the Premier League this season.
Is Marcus Rashford running out of time at Manchester United?
Marcus Rashford rose through the ranks at Manchester United and enjoyed the best return of his career under Erik ten Hag in the 2022/23 campaign.
Rashford registered 30 goals and 11 assists from 56 games across competitions. However, he has since failed to replicate that form with the Red Devils.
The 26-year-old was also linked with an exit from Old Trafford this summer. There were rumours linking him to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as well.
While Rashford ended up staying at Manchester United, he will have to get back his scoring boots soon. New minority owners INEOS have made multiple changes to the club and unless Rashford improves, they may have a tough decision on their hands next summer.