Pundit stunned by Man Utd star’s body language: ‘He’s always waiting to get substituted’
Man Utd forward Marcus Rashford is “always waiting to get taken off” and his “body language just doesn’t seem to be right”, according to former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara.
Last month, Ten Hag shocked everyone by benching Rashford as the Red Devils took on Crystal Palace in a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park with the England international not introduced until the 61st minute.
In the two matches leading up to their trip to Palace, Rashford had scored three goals in two matches for Man Utd against Southampton and Barnsley.
Rashford was also taken off at half-time in their 3-3 draw against Porto last week with Ten Hag claiming both times that it was because of “rotation”.
Speaking after dropping Rashford against Palace, Ten Hag told reporters: “There’s already some speculation and some pundits’ (remarks) and that’s crazy.
“As a person you are not OK when you bring such speculation if you don’t know what’s going on.
“This is just rotation. We have many games to cover and we have more than 11 players and we have to give all the players, if they perform, we will give them the chances.
“And finally we will find out, of course, the players who perform better and who will play more.
“This has nothing to do… I’m very happy with Marcus, with everything. With his defending part, offensive, he scores in this moment.
“He performs very good and so nothing to do (with him) that he was on the bench, just rotation.”
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And former Tottenham midfielder O’Hara reckons Rashford looks frustrated and disinterested but the pundit still reckons he could be a “top, top player”.
O’Hara said on Sky Sports: “Rashford doesn’t look like he’s enjoying his football. He’s a dangerous player for Man United. He had a couple of chances [against Villa], cuts inside, gets his shot away, you know. I really like Rashford, I do. I think he’s got so much potential to be a top, top player.
“But his body language just doesn’t seem to be right at Man United. I feel like he’s always waiting to get taken off, and he gets frustrated and he could have gone today. So, the manager has to make that decision for the team.”
Speaking last week, former Premier League midfielder Don Hutchison was “not buying” Ten Hag’s rotation excuse, he said: “I’m not buying it.
“I’ve been in dressing rooms at half-times, full-times, before games and it’s one of those where Erik ten Hag – and I’m not questioning him, because he knows his players and what went on, whereas I’m surmising from an ex-player’s point of view…
“Marcus Rashford in the first half was playing really well. He looked really sharp. At 2-2, are you going to tell me that Rashford was taken off because Ten Hag’s got an eye on the Aston Villa game?
“If you’re winning 2-0 or 3-0 and you take him off because you’re trying to give him less minutes going into the Villa game, it’s totally understandable. While the game’s in the balance at 2-2, in a big game, I don’t buy rotation.
“I just wonder if there’s been some sort of conflict or argument at half-time, and that can happen. That’s what I’m leaning to, and I might be wrong.”
