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Patrick Vieira has come to Erik ten Hag’s defence after the eruption of a media row over the Manchester United manager’s team selection.
Following Man United’s frustrating goalless draw with Crystal Palace last night, Ten Hag was faced with some tough questions during his post-match press conference. This included a question as to why he chose to exclude Rashford from the starting 11 after he scored twice against Barnsley in the midweek.
“Already the speculation, some pundits, I would also say you are not OK as a person when you bring such speculation when you don’t know what’s on; this is just rotation,” Ten Hag abruptly responded.
“We have many games to cover. We can only start 11 players, but we have to give all the players, if they perform, we will give them their chances. And finally, we’ll find out, of course, the players who play better will play more.”
While many critics were quick to slam Ten Hag’s decision, Arsenal legend Viera understood Ten Hag’s perspective.
“A mistake? No,” Vieira quickly confirmed on NBC Sports. “I think the manager, looking at the week of training, that will help him to make the best decision. I think Rashford should ask himself why he doesn’t start at Manchester United. And I think he has to do more because the manager the fans, the club, they expect more from him.”
Clearly, Vieira was referring to the fact that up until his recent turnaround in form, Rashford had a largely disappointing start to the season.
“I think when a player like him, coming from the bench, he has to make a point and making a point is showing that the manager was wrong not to start him. I think when you look at his performance today, the manager was right not to start him,” Vieira concluded.
The France legend’s comments would surely be welcomed by Ten Hag, particularly after the criticism he faced for his decision.
Jamie Redknapp was among Ten Hag’s loudest critics, stating: “It feels like something has gone untoward. I don’t know the details. But you don’t drop a player that has scored two in midweek and against Southampton.”
“I’d be nervous to say he is back, but he is showing signs of the Rashford from two years ago. It feels like something’s happened maybe this week. I don’t know the manager’s frustration. It is unusual for a manager to out players for their lifestyle,” the former Liverpool star continued.
Still, Ten Hag’s comments after the match were a clear answer to critics such as Redknapp, and by mentioning “pundits” in his response, it wouldn’t be surprising if the United manager was calling out Redknapp in particular.
Ultimately, Rashford still has much to prove if Ten Hag is going to fully trust him once again. While he found the back of the net against Southampton and then Barnsley, the standard of the opposition must be taken into account. The winger will need to show his worth against top-level opponents if he hopes to truly cement his spot in the starting lineup and silence his critics.
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