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ERIK TEN HAG hit out at “crazy” talk about a row between him and Marcus Rashford.
Manchester United manager Ten Hag reacted to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp’s claims “there’s obviously something that’s happened” after Rashford was dropped for the draw at Crystal Palace — despite scoring three in his two previous games.
ETH said: “I heard already speculation from some pundits. That is crazy.
“I would almost say that, as a person, you are not OK when you bring such speculation if you don’t know. This has nothing to do with it.
“I’m very happy with Marcus, with everything.
“With his defending part, offensive, he scores in this moment, he performs very good.
“So there is nothing to do with it that he was on the bench, just rotation.
“We have many games to cover. We have more than a starting 11 of players.
“If the players perform, we will give them their chances.”
Ten Hag had warned Rashford in the build-up to the clash with the Eagles at Selhurst Park that he needed to maintain the improvement in his off-field lifestyle if he wanted to put last season’s woes behind him.
But the United boss also praised the former England striker after he scored twice in the 7-0 midweek mauling of Barnsley in the League Cup.
That did not stop the Dutchman from starting Joshua Zirkzee instead of the axed England international.
When news of Rashford’s shock omission broke, Redknapp said: “It feels like something untoward has gone on. You don’t drop a player that’s scored two in midweek and one against Southampton. It feels like something has happened this week.”
Ten Hag was left to rue missed chances in the first half.
And to thank goalkeeper Andre Onana for making a brilliant double save in the second period from Eddie Nketiah and Ismaila Sarr to stop Palace taking all three points.
Ten Hag, whose side sit 11th in the table with just seven points from five games, said: “In and out of possession we played a really good game.
“The only thing I can criticise is we were not clinical enough in the box, not decisive enough.
“We should have scored but we let them stay alive in the first half.
“Last week Onana was very important by saving a penalty against Southampton.
“That double save was brilliant, it was class.”
What was not class was the two-footed jumping challenge by United defender Lisandro Martinez on Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada in the second half.
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner said: “For me it was a really heavy tackle.
“Fortunately he touched the ball and not the shin of the player. He could break his leg.
“The referee decided no red card. I don’t want to complain about the referee’s decision.
“We made many more wrong decisions than the referee.” — Sun.
Online Reporter