Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, has issued a challenge to star player Marcus Rashford following a disappointing season. Ten Hag expressed his confidence in the young forward and believes that he is capable of returning to his goalscoring form from two seasons ago.
Currently, Manchester United is on their pre-season tour of America. Rashford is part of the travelling party and they are set to face off against Arsenal on Saturday. The Red Devils have already played two pre-season friendlies; one against Norwegian side Rosenborg which ended in defeat, and another against Rangers which they won 2-0.
Ten Hag backs Rashford amidst new signings
Despite strengthening their forward options with the signing of striker Joshua Zirkzee, there’s a chance Manchester United could look to bolster their attacking ranks before the end of the window. The Old Trafford outfit boasts several attacking options at their disposal including youngster Amad Diallo who could be set for a more prominent role this coming season.
Jadon Sancho has seemingly been reintegrated into the first team although he could still leave the club. Amidst these changes, one player that United will be hoping for much more from next season is Marcus Rashford.
Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, said:
“Rashford can only improve himself, he is capable, he has scored so many goals, and at a relatively young age, so he is capable of it."
“I’m confident and have 100% belief he can do the same as he did two years ago.”
Rashford had a disastrous 2023/24 campaign
Rashford endured what many consider as his worst career season in 2023/2024 when he managed just eight goals in 30 appearances across all competitions. This resulted in him missing out on selection for England squad at Euro 2024.
This was quite different from his performance during the 2022/2023 campaign where he scored an impressive total of 30 goals across all competitions earning him a lucrative new contract. Ahead of Saturday’s Arsenal match in Los Angeles, Ten Hag backed Rashford publicly stating that he believes that Rashford can repeat his high-scoring form from two years ago.
Rashford clearly has the ability and it’s now down to him to work hard and get back to his best form. If he can achieve this, he will be a key player for United as they look to improve on last season’s eighth-place finish. Erik ten Hag's challenge serves as both a vote of confidence and a call-to-action for Marcus Rashford. The coming season will be crucial in determining whether Rashford can bounce back from his disappointing performance last year and once again become an integral part of Manchester United's attacking force.
