Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand has questioned manager Erik ten Hag’s decision to bench Marcus Rashford for the game against Crystal Palace. Ferdinand believes the Dutch tactician should have allowed the Englishman to enjoy his purple patch instead of “confusing” him by interrupting his momentum.
Manchester United Drops Two Points Against Crystal Palace
Record 20-time English champions Manchester United endured another frustrating afternoon in the Premier League on September 21, as they made the trip to Selhurst Park for their meeting with Crystal Palace. Having picked up just six points from their previous four games, the Red Devils needed a positive result to return to the top half of the table.
The visitors created plenty of goalscoring opportunities throughout the game but could not apply the finishing touch. The game ultimately ended goalless, leaving United in 11th place in the league standings with just seven points from five matches. Fourth-placed Arsenal has amassed 11 points in five Premier League outings.
Rio Ferdinand Accuses Erik ten Hag Of Confusing Marcus Rashford
Manchester United boss Ten Hag shuffled the pack for the Premier League meeting against Crystal Palace, surprisingly dropping in-form Rashford from the starting XI. The England forward did not come off the bench until the 61st minute.
The manager has since defended his decision by citing fixture congestion, but Ferdinand does not think it was necessary.
On his YouTube show, ‘Rio Ferdinand Presents’, the ex-England star said:
“Talking of rotation, following the game against Palace. United are third in terms of xG, only bettered by Man City and Liverpool. So they’re creating the chances but not scoring the goals.
“When you’ve got a man in form like Marcus Rashford, who’s coming into a bit of form and momentum which is key for any player and their confidence, I’m thinking is it the right time now to rotate? We’re creating chances and you take out the guy who is actually starting to score. I just look at that and think, wow. It was pleasing to see the manager come out and say it was rotation, nothing else because there were some murmurings around it. But Marcus Rashford man, I think he will be sitting there thinking ‘I’ve just hit a bit of form and they’ve taken me out.’ That confuses me, it’s confusing.”
Rashford, 26, has played seven matches for the club in all competitions this season, scoring thrice and providing an assist. He should return to action when United take on Twente in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, September 25.
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