Erik ten Hag responded defiantly to claims that Marcus Rashford was benched for Manchester United’s draw at Crystal Palace for off-field matters.
Rashford has started every one of United’s games this season and was expected to be selected for Saturday’s game at Selhurst Park following his Carabao Cup double against Barnsley in midweek.
Erik ten Hag was left furious by theories over his decision to drop Marcus RashfordGetty
The forward was introduced as a second-half substitute in place of Joshua Zirkzee but was unable to help his side make the breakthrough.
His omission appeared to leave many puzzled, not least Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp who could not understand why a player in goalscoring form would not be selected.
“It feels like something untoward has gone on,” Redknapp said. “You don’t drop a player that’s scored two in midweek and one against Southampton. It feels like something has happened this week.”
His sentiments were later echoed by Alan Shearer who provided a conspiracy theory of his own during an episode of The Rest is Football podcast.
When the idea of a potential disciplinary issue was proposed, Shearer responded: “Why else would you leave him out?
“When things have been criticised, and I was one of them, for performances, but then you get your goal last weekend, you get another couple in midweek.
“Why would you actually even contemplate leaving him out? My guess is, and it is a guess, it has to be something different.”
Ten Hag was asked about Redknapp’s claims during his press conference ahead of Wednesday’s Europa League opener at home to FC Twente and offered a stern response.
The Man United boss said: “I didn’t understand the criticism. People are not entitled to bring speculation. If I give an explanation they have to trust my words. That is not right.”
In-form Rashford came on as a 61st minute substitute against Crystal PalaceGetty
Jamie Redknapp insists there were other factors behind Ten Hag’s decision to bench the Man United forwardGetty
Questions were raised after the Dutchman spoke about Rashford’s lifestyle away from the pitch, prior to the trip to Crystal Palace.
The 26-year-old’s form plummeted last season despite signing a new £300,000-a-week deal.
Rashford was sanctioned by Ten Hag for missing training after being spotted in a Belfast nightclub after United were beaten in the Manchester derby in October.
Ten Hag was questioned on whether Rashford could recapture the kind of form that saw him net 30 goals during the 2022/23 campaign.
Asked whether Rashford had learnt from his mistakes, Ten Hag said: “I think he always knew, and every player knows, because when your lifestyle is not right you can’t perform.
“You don’t get the right levels when you don’t have a good and disciplined life away from Carrington.
“At the end of the day, he has to do it by himself. He has to set his life right, his training attitude right, his match attitude right. When he sets his professionalism, he will perform because he is a class player.
GettyRashford appears to be a much happier version of himself this season and it is showing on the pitch[/caption]
“Marcus Rashford knows when there are setbacks how to get fightback, how to set his career, his performance. He took control of it and I think he is on the way back. He has started the season very good now he has to continue and to progress.”
Ahead of the clash with FC Twente, Ten Hag criticised UEFA’s new league phase format that has been wheeled out across their three club competitions this season.
It will see clubs play an extra two games before the knockout rounds and the United boss views the revamp as an unwelcome addition.
“There are too many games, too many competitions, it’s clear,” he said. “The players are overloaded, this is not good for football. Maybe it’s good for commercial.
“As a club alone we can’t change this. It’s about clubs and players and coaches. We have to work on this to improve the game and find the right balance. We are professional and revenues have to come, but we have to balance it out.”
