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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has sent a message to Marcus Rashford and told the forward he can lead his side to success against Manchester City but only with the right attitude.
United are set to make their way to the Etihad on Sunday to take on the reigning Premier League champions.
Erik ten Hag’s men will be heading into the match off the back of a 1-0 mid-week FA Cup win against Nottingham Forest.
In two games now vs. Fulham and Forest respectively, Rashford has led the line in Rasmus Hojlund’s absence due to injury. In both clashes, the Englishman has been poor and ineffective.
At the City Ground, he came under intense criticism for his body language and visible disappointment, with the likes of Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney laying into him.
Rashford has struggled all season and has found it hard to replicate the devastating form that saw him bag 30 goals across all competitions last term.
The player has been punished by Ten Hag twice for bad behaviour – once for going out to celebrate his birthday after United’s 3-0 defeat against City in the derby in October and then secondly when he missed training after a bender at a Belfast club the night before.
A previous report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that Rashford and Ten Hag are barely on speaking terms and there are fears the relationship between the two is broken and beyond repair.
Ahead of the Red Devils’ clash vs. City, the manager spoke to Sky Sports and said, “What he can take from the past is that he can score a lot of goals. He can score against the biggest opponents in the world and against the best defenders in the world.”
“It’s just about him; if he has his attitude right on Sunday, he is unstoppable.”
“It’s about him. Of course, we have to serve him, that’s a part of it, but in all the games against City he had big chances to score goals. He’s also scored plenty of goals against Man City, especially at the Etihad.”
Ten Hag also spoke to club media and admitted that United have a defensive puzzle to solve before meeting City at the Etihad.
Harry Maguire became the latest addition to an extensive injury list also consisting of Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Mason Mount and Hojlund.
“We have to lay the puzzle because we are still missing full-backs. We are still missing centre-halves. So we have to be creative but I think we can. On Wednesday, we showed we can, if we have the right plan. But, more important than that, if we have that passion, and that ambition, and desire and determination to win the game, then we are able to do it.”
The Dutchman said about the defeat at the hands of Fulham, “Of course, it’s annoying. It still annoys me, that game against Fulham. But it happened and, also, we can’t forget what happened before that.”
“From January on, we are in very good form, on a very good run. We bounced back (at Forest) and we have to keep this process going. We’re looking forward, great games are coming up – big games and good challenges.”
Ten Hag pointed out that he and his players are excited by the challenge of facing City and potentially making a huge statement of intent.
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