This is not Marcus Rashford’s year. At 26, the English striker is struggling to embody the revival of Manchester United. Although trained at the club and a manager player for several seasons, the latter does not seem to learn from his mistakes. And the statistics don’t lie: 2 goals in 19 matches in all competitions. Little, much too little for the Mancunian. So, when English journalists asked Erik ten Hag what Marcus Rashford would need to start his season, he replied: “I think for almost every player it’s an arm around the shoulder, sometimes a kick in the ass.”
The Dutch coach nevertheless prefers to address the collective of his team rather than belittling the England international. “That doesn’t worry me. I want to win, I want to win with my team, to make them progress in the right direction. We are here in a project. Last season we were going in the right direction. This season we have not reached the standards we hoped to have. It’s the truth. We experienced a setback”he says, before facing Liverpool at Anfield this Sunday, at 5:30 p.m.
