September 21st 2024.
Marcus Rashford was not named in the starting lineup for Manchester United's match against Crystal Palace, which caused some surprise among fans and pundits. However, United's head coach, Erik ten Hag, explained that it was not a difficult decision to rotate their attacking players, and also to give young striker Alejandro Garnacho a chance to start.
Rashford had failed to find the net in the first three games of the Premier League season, but he finally got off the mark with a stunning goal against Southampton last weekend. He also scored twice in the midweek Carabao Cup match against Barnsley, which raised expectations for him to start against Palace.
Ten Hag had previously accused Rashford of lacking professionalism last season, but he now believes that the forward has shown an improved attitude. However, he still opted to name Rashford on the bench for this match, with Garnacho getting the start after his impressive performance in the midweek match.
When asked about his decision in a pre-match interview, Ten Hag explained that with a packed schedule and so many games to cover, rotation is necessary, and they also wanted to give Garnacho more game time. He praised the young striker for his end product and goal-scoring abilities, but acknowledged that he needed more starts in the season.
Former United defender Phil Jones, who was doing punditry for Sky Sports, admitted that he was surprised by the decision to bench Rashford, especially after his recent form. He had scored in the last two matches and gained some confidence, so Jones believed that it would have been a good opportunity to build on that momentum.
Jamie Redknapp, another pundit on the show, speculated that something might have happened behind the scenes, which led to Rashford being dropped from the starting lineup. He felt that it was unusual for a manager to publicly criticize a player's lifestyle, as Ten Hag had done previously, and wondered if that had any effect on the decision.
Overall, while Rashford's absence from the starting lineup may have caused some surprise, it seems to be a strategic decision by Ten Hag to rotate players and give young talent a chance to shine. It remains to be seen if Rashford will make an impact from the bench and continue to prove himself as a valuable member of the team.
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