Manchester United’s off-the-field issues continue as fans’ frustration peaks after Erik ten Hag latest comments on Marcus Rashford. The Dutch manager sheltered the England international from the media after an unimpressive showing against Newcastle United.
Manchester United suffered the sixth defeat of their Premier League season against Newcastle United. The forward line of the Manchester club was lackluster throughout the game, with horror shows from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.
Erik ten Hag on Rashford: “I’ll talk to him [about his performance] and not with the media.” #MUFC
— United Zone (@ManUnitedZone_) December 2, 2023
Erik ten Hag commented on Rashford’s performance in his post-match interview: “I’ll talk to him [about his performance] and not with the media.” The Dutch boss shielded the England international from criticism in the media despite his average performance.
These comments didn’t sit well with Manchester United fans, who claimed double standards by Erik ten Hag for Rashford compared to other team members. A user, @utdcynical perfectly summed up the frustration with his response on ‘X’: “This guy man. You’ve publicly called out Casemiro, Varane, Ronaldo, De Gea and Sancho but won’t speak about Rashford”?
This guy man. You’ve publicly called out Casemiro, Varane, Ronaldo, De Gea and Sancho… but won’t speak about Rashford? https://t.co/XGfZJR0kam
— . (@utdcynical) December 3, 2023
The comments resonated with other fans of Manchester United, who chipped in their opinion by stating that Marcus Rashford is protected due to his ‘English passport’ and for being an academy product of the club. Few fans even claim that the Dutch boss might get sacked if he publicly speaks against the English forward.
The man management of Erik ten Hag has been questioned on many occasions due to his public comments against key players of the squad. During his tenure, the former Ajax manager has publicly spoken against David de Gea, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, and Harry Maguire. The Dutch boss’ public spat with Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the biggest reasons why the Portuguese moved away from the club.
Erik ten Hag on the performance of Anthony Martial against Newcastle United
The bias was also evident during the match against Newcastle United. Erik ten Hag was in the spotlight when he was caught on camera being visibly angry and shouting at Anthony Martial. The Dutch boss was not happy with the work rate of the French striker against the physical Newcastle United side.
The video of the reaction from the manager went viral on social media and was one of the major talking points after the match. The reaction of Erik ten Hag was the polar opposite of Rashford in comparison to Martial. The inconsistency in the man management tactics of the Dutch boss has added more pressure from the fans on this situation at the club.
Ten Hag and Martial having a go at each other.
Ten Hag probably telling Martial to press, and Martial making his own points. 😮💨pic.twitter.com/N2xhT1amMh
— UF (@UtdFaithfuls) December 3, 2023
The Dutch boss commented on the incident by directing the blame towards the whole team: “It’s not about Anthony Martial, it’s about the team. I try to energize the team and try to get a reaction from the team in this moment. As you see, we had a tough period and when you’re coaching you are a little more aggressive. So that’s normal.”
The second season of Erik ten Hag’s era has been marked with various on and off-the-field controversies ahead of the imminent arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The English club was off its worst start in the Premier League in 61 years. They are currently bottom of their UCL group and are already nine points off from the league leaders Arsenal with only 24 points from 14 matches.