Erik ten Hag has defended Marcus Rashford against heavy criticism following a slow start to the 2023/24 season.
It’s important to note that Rashford isn’t United’s only underperforming star, but he has endured a difficult start to the campaign managing just one goal and two assists in eight matches.
The only match Rashford didn’t feature in was the 3-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup last week.
Some fans are even getting on Rashford’s case, but that won’t help him overcome this path of bad form. Ten Hag is not ignoring the facts but still stresses that he is fully behind Rashford, who scored 30-goals last term.
“The facts are he’s not scoring at this moment, but he’s had opportunities, like against Brighton, where he had five or six occasions in a very good spot,” Ten Hag told reporters, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News.
“If he works hard and invests every day, with the right focus and if the team around him supplies and helps him and supports him with movement, then it will come and Marcus Rashford is a player who’s capable of scoring a goal in every game. When he’s coming in the right spots, he will score.”
This comes as no surprise to anyone that saw Fabrizio Romano’s report earlier this morning, which states that United are not concerned about Rashford’s form and feel it’s only a matter of time before he gets back to his best.
At least Rashford is creating opportunities and we can now expect the manager to stand by him during this difficult run.
Hopefully he gets back on the scoresheet tomorrow night when the Reds host Galatasaray.
Furthermore, Ten Hag was quizzed on the other underperforming players in the squad. The manager replied: “You have to deal with [it]. Experienced players know how to deal with it and it’s not the first time we’re in this situation because that’s a career, it’s not only highlights, it’s a journey and that will have bumps. Now it’s about the character, what you have to show and how to get out. There are many positives but things we need to improve on.”
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