Erik ten Hag insists Marcus Rashford will be ‘on fire’ again soon enough as Manchester United prepare for Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Brentford at Old Trafford.
With the Red Devils losing more home games already this season (three) than they did in the whole of 2022/23 (two), Thomas Frank’s out-of-sorts Bees side will certainly be looking to get their sting back as they travel to the North West this weekend.
Another defeat in front of their own supporters, meanwhile, does not bare thinking about for Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United. Crystal Palace and Galatasaray both storming the fortress over the last seven days.
At least the embattled United boss will have one of his key players back in contention for a place in the XI, Antony’s return from a spell out of action potentially coming at the perfect time. On the opposite flank, meanwhile, Marcus Rashford retains his manager’s backing, even if last season’s 30-goal top scorer remains stuck on one for the current campaign.
Ten Hag backs Marcus Rashford to find form
“Strikers when they don’t score, they need a moment and it will come,” Ten Hag tells the Manchester Evening News, buying into that ‘ketchup’ analogy.
Rashford, Ten Hag believes, just needs to keep tapping on the bottle and then the goals will start flowing out once again.
“He’s so experienced,” the Dutchman adds. “And when he’s doing the right things and the team is, the momentum will come and he’ll be on fire.”
Manchester United host Brentford
Rashford’s only goal of 2023/24 came a month ago, a sizziling solo effort in an eventual 3-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. The England international did, at least, show promising signs of a new-look link-up with Rasmus Hojlund against Galatasaray in midweek, setting up the £64 million summer signing with a glorious cross in the first-half.
With three in the group-stages already, Hojlund is currently the top scorer in the whole of the Champions League.
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