Marcus Rashford has become one of the major talking points after the recent loss of Manchester United against Newcastle United. The English winger was abysmal against Newcastle and has been heavily criticized by fans and experts alike. On Sky Sports, Roy Keane led the charge by attacking the attitude of the English winger.
Keane discussed the performance of Manchester United with Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards after the 3-3 draw of Manchester City and Tottenham. The Manchester legend followed after Jamie Carragher, who stated that Marcus Rashford’s performance against Newcastle United was unacceptable.
Keane went on and commented: “He [Rashford] is a local lad, he’s got the mega deal and that is all well and good. I need a bit more, you run forward no problem but you bloody run back when you are playing for Manchester United. No excuses.”
Keane added by commenting on the experience of Rashford: “He’s 26, He is not a child anymore. He is one of the most senior players. He’s got to set the example. He’s got to run more than anybody. He’s got to lead by example, is he on his own? Absolutely not. He’s one of the experienced players in that dressing room and if he’s not putting the shift in, not good.”
Marcus Rashford joined the senior team of Manchester United in January 2016 when he was 18 years old. In seven seasons with the English club, he has made 377 appearances for the club in all competitions.
Keane is hitting the nail on the head on both aspects, Rashford is one of the senior-most players in the team with around 400 appearances for the club and has a big money deal behind him that earns him around $379,000 (300,000) per week. The English winger cannot afford to put his head down in any game.
Erik ten Hag shelters Marcus Rashford from the media with a cryptic response
Rashford’s performance was also brought up in the post-match interview of Erik ten Hag. The Dutch boss who does not shy away from discussing the attitude and performances of his players took a different route this time.
If you were Erik ten Hag, would you drop Marcus Rashford?🤔 pic.twitter.com/Yf92nVrfKa
— Stretford Paddock (@StretfordPaddck) December 4, 2023
The Manchester United manager simply addressed the question by stating: “I will talk to him and not the media.” The Dutch boss faced backlash from Manchester United fans who accused him of bias for some players in the squad. During his tenure, Erik ten Hag has made public statements against Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Maguire, David de Gea, and Jadon Sancho but refused to comment on Marcus Rashford in this instance.
Rashford touched the ball on 22 times against Newcastle United and failed to have a shot on target in the match. This season, his form has dipped, with only two goals in 18 appearances in all competition. These numbers are shocking considering that Rashford scored 30 goals in 56 appearances in the 2022/23 season.
On the other hand, the prominence of Alejandro Garncho has been on the rise since his wonder goal against Everton. Erik ten Hag is being pressured to drop Marcus Rashford from the starting 11 to give more chances to the younger talent of the club.