"The right reaction" - Erik ten Hag praises Manchester United star after Wolverhampton win
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has praised Marcus Rashford for his reaction in the side's 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday (December 31).
Rashford was dropped to the substitutes bench by Ten Hag due to 'internal disciplinary reasons'. The Red Devils lacked a cutting edge in the first half of their encounter against Wolves, and Rashford was brought on at half-time.
He made a massive impact in the 76th minute, gliding his way into Wolves' penalty box and firing past goalkeeper Jose Sa to give Manchester United all three points. Ten Hag has lauded Rashford's reaction to being dropped for disciplinary reasons and his Man-of-the-Match performance.
He told BT Sport:
"He came in, was bright and lively and scored a goal. That was the right reaction. It’s the end of the matter. Everyone has to follow the rules and values, but if you react like this, this is the right answer. ”
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Rashford has bagged 11 goals and four assists in 22 appearances across competitions this season. He has bounced back well from his disappointing 2021-22 campaign, where he managed just five goals and two assists in 32 games.
The Englishman revealed post-match that he overslept and missed a meeting, which resulted in his suspension, telling BT Sport:
“Obviously it’s team rules. I made a mistake. That can happen. I’m obviously disappointed not to play, but I understand the decision and I’m happen we managed to win anyway. We draw a line under it and move on. I was a little bit late for a meeting. I overslept, but it can happen.
"I overslept and I was late for a meeting" 😅
Marcus Rashford reveals the reason he was benched by his manager Erik Ten Hag...💬
🎙️ @TheDesKelly https://t.co/jD3aSFG6Nx
Manchester United move up to fourth in the Premier League standings, holding a two-point lead over fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who play Aston Villa tomorrow (January 1).
Manchester United's Luke Shaw hints that club had discipline issues before Ten Hag's arrival
Manchester United left-back Shaw has explained how Ten Hag has brought much-needed discipline to the club.
The former Ajax coach arrived at Old Trafford in May and is well known for being a stickler for professionalism. So, he punished Rashford, despite the forward being the side's in-form protagonist.
The Red Devils were plagued by disciplinary issues throughout last season, amid reports of unrest in the dressing room emerging. Shaw commented on the change in discipline that has occurred under Ten Hag. Talking about Rashford's drop, Shaw told BT Sport:
“At a top club like this, it has to be like that."
He added:
“People can’t do whatever they want. Maybe that has been part of the problem in the past, where people are getting away with silly little things. But the manager takes all of that into consideration and, like you’ve seen, if you’re not keeping the standards high, then you won’t play.”