Former Liverpool midfielder turned pundit Graeme Souness has warned Erik ten Hag he can’t rely on Manchester United duo Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.
After a shaky start to the season, Manchester United are finally starting to play like a team coached by Erik ten Hag, but there are still problems that need to be fixed.
The Red Devils moved to within one point of fourth-placed Tottenham after beating Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night. A win over Wolves on New Year’s Eve will pile even more pressure on Antonio Conte’s men.
Souness, who rarely has anything good to say about United, gave credit to Ten Hag for getting more out of the players than previous managers. That said, he believes the Cristiano Ronaldo episode could have been handled better.
The former Liverpool star doesn’t think Ten Hag can rely on either Rashford or Martial after losing Ronaldo.
“I expressed reservations about Erik ten Hag in August. Since then, he has got more out of those players than the previous manager,” Souness told the Daily Mail.
“I still think the Cristiano Ronaldo situation could have been handled better, benefiting the player and manager. He scored 18 league goals last season and, when I look at their squad now, I don’t see goals.
“Marcus Rashford is their top scorer with five and is playing well. But he had a sabbatical for two years. Only he could tell you why.
“The worry for Manchester United is that it could happen again. If he’s the one you’re relying on to get you goals, that feels like a wing and a prayer to me.
“And if Ten Hag is also still relying on Anthony Martial to stand up and be counted, then good luck with that.
“Three years ago, I said he was in a last-chance saloon to prove he is a United player. He is talented, but an enormous question mark remains.”
I find it interesting that people like Souness think Ten Hag got it so wrong with Ronaldo, yet the 37-year-old has just joined Saudia Arabian club Al Nassr on a two-year deal.
The best players don’t go to Saudi Arabia unless they accept they can no longer play at the top.
