Premier League: Ten Hag quotes Cristiano Ronaldo to praise goal scorer Rashford

Rashford had gone 13 games without a goal before netting in the 41st minute of United’s 3-0 Premier League win over newly promoted Southampton, his first since a 2-0 win over Everton on March 9.

Published : Sep 14, 2024 21:17 IST , SOUTHAMPTON - 2 MINS READ

Marcus Rashford in action during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Manchester United FC.
Marcus Rashford in action during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Manchester United FC. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
infoIcon

Marcus Rashford in action during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Manchester United FC. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Individual workouts during the recent international break paid off for Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford after he ended a six-month scoring drought on Saturday having endured criticism from his own fans.

Rashford had gone 13 games without a goal before netting in the 41st minute of United’s 3-0 Premier League win over newly promoted Southampton, his first since a 2-0 win over Everton on March 9.

While manager Erik ten Hag had been questioned for starting Rashford, he said pre-game on Saturday that the 26-year-old needed only a goal or assist to “fly”.

Ten Hag can only hope that the positive afternoon indeed opens the floodgates for his striker who had just eight goals across all competitions last season after pouring in 30 in 2022-23, Ten Hag’s debut season in Manchester.

ALSO READ | Man United beats Southampton 3-0 as Marcus Rashford ends goalless run

“It’s very important,” the manager said after Saturday’s victory that gave United six points after four games. “For every striker, they want to be on the scoring list. Once the first is in, more is coming. Once a striker was talking about a ketchup bottle - once it’s going, it’s coming more.”

Rashford was left out of the England squad for Euro 2024, and then was not called up during the recent international break. After coming under fire for a slow start to the season, he remained in Manchester during the break to work with RH Elite Coaching, spending much of the time doing finishing drills.

Rashford was left unmarked on United’s short corner in the 41st minute on Saturday, bending a diagonal shot into the far corner.

New signing Matthijs de Ligt and Alejandro Garnacho scored United’s other goals while goalkeeper Andre Onana saved Cameron Archer’s penalty that proved to be the turning point.

Ten Hag’s men have no time to rest on the laurels from their much-needed win. They host Barnsley in the League Cup on Tuesday.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment