"No red cards for Christ sake!" - Dimitar Berbatov makes score prediction for Manchester United vs Luton Town
Dimitar Berbatov expects Manchester United to ease the pressure on Erik ten Hag with a win against Luton Town on Saturday (November 11).
Ten Hag has come under increasing criticism amid his Red Devils worryingly poor start to the season. United have lost nine games across competitions, and sit eighth in the Premier League table.
Manchester United suffered a 4-3 loss to FC Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. This only furthered talk of Ten Hag's position being under threat although he wasn't aided by Marcus Rashford's contentious red card.
Berbatov warned his former club to be careful against a side like Luton who are fighting at the bottom of the Premier League. He told Metro:
"Man United have to be careful because these teams that are near the bottom of the table have nothing to lose. They’ll stay disciplined in defence and then attack you like they did against Liverpool; they can surprise people."
The Red Devils legend urged Ten Hag's side not to wait until the final moments to pounce for the win. The Bulgarian insists it's a must-win game for United and one he sees them coming out on top:
"Man United have to keep it simple, be deadly in attack and don’t leave it until the 90th minute, and no red cards for Christ sake! It’s a must-win for Man United so I’ll go with them to win. Prediction: 2-0."
Manchester United's season has sometimes looked like turning a corner before they've been handed a major setback. They beat Fulham 1-0 last time out in the league courtesy of Bruno Fernandes' terrific strike late on.
Erik ten Hag admits he's not happy with Manchester United star Marcus Rashford's form
Rashford enjoyed his best season to date in the 2022-23 campaign. The English forward posted 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 games across competitions.
However, Rashford has come off the boil this term, with just one goal and three assists in 15 games across competitions. His red card against Copenhagen was just the second of his career.
Ten Hag has admitted that both the player and the team are concerned with his lack of form. But, the Dutchman is adamant last season's top scorer will bounce back (via 90min):
"I think he's not happy, we're not happy. He has high expectations for himself and, of course, in this moment he is not in his best form but I know he will be back."
Rashford isn't solely to blame for his poor displays as Manchester United are underperforming as a collective. However, his sensational past season makes his unconvincing performances for the Red Devils stand out.