Man Utd ace slammed for ‘unforgivable’ mistake and trying to be ‘too clever’ as Ten Hag replacement plan hots up
Manchester United attacker Marcus Rashford has been chastised for his massive miss against Newcastle on Sunday, with Erik ten Hag apparently seeking for a Premier League batsman to replace him.
Rashford started the game against Newcastle on the bench, as Ten Hag went with Cristiano Ronaldo up front. The Portuguese had the ball in the Newcastle net twice in the second half, but both goals were ruled out by the referee.
Ronaldo appeared irritated when he was substituted in the 72nd minute by Ten Hag, who opted to mix things up and give Rashford a chance.
In the fifth minute of stoppage time, he had his big chance. Casemiro delivered a beautiful cross into the area, and Rashford leaped above his defender to meet it with his head.
The 24-year-old had an open goal in front of him, but he only managed to shoot the ball just wide of the post.
It was the game’s final chance, and Manchester United was forced to settle for a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford. As a result, they are now fifth in the Premier League rankings, three points below the top four and 11 points behind champions Arsenal.
Newcastle, on the other hand, had a strong showing. They are unbeaten in five league games and are only behind Manchester United.
While talking on talkSPORT’s Gameday podcast, transfer insider Alex Crook discussed Rashford’s miss. He has chastised Rashford for his ‘unforgivable’ error and believes the England international tried to be ‘too clever.
Man United player makes ‘unforgivable’ error
“The second one is more heinous,” Crook added (via This Is Futbol). “That’s a free header in front of the goal.”
“I believe he was attempting to be too intelligent, too precise.” Simply get it on target, and you’ll be incredibly unlucky if you don’t score.”
This Is Futbol also has some statistics on Rashford’s overall performance. According to SofaScore, Rashford lost two duels, gave away possession five times, and had a 71% passing accuracy.
Clearly, Ten Hag will be upset about more than Rashford’s miss. He’ll also have issues with the academy graduate’s link-up play.
Crook’s decision comes as Manchester United looks for a new striker to replace the likes of Rashford and Ronaldo.
Marcus Rashford might be replaced by a fellow countryman.
Brentford midfielder Ivan Toney appears to be their major target at the moment. He is currently on a hot streak, having scored eight goals in 11 games this season.
Fabrizio Romano believes Toney would cost Manchester United between £40 and £45 million. This makes him less expensive than some of their other attacking targets, such as Joao Felix.
Brentford, according to the Daily Mirror, is taking steps to retain Toney in west London. They are prepared to offer him a new contract with a raise.
Having said that, the new agreement will very certainly include a release clause. This will tell Manchester United just how much they need to pay to bring the in-form star to the club.
