“Because He’s Our Highest Paid Player” – Erik ten Hag’s Call to Start Marcus Rashford Against Chelsea May Backfire, Says Pundit

There were high expectations from Marcus Rashford to continue his goal-scoring form from last season. However, unfortunately for the Manchester United fans, it hasn’t panned out. He has scored only two goals this season. Despite the streak of subpar performances, Erik ten Hag continues to start him. Now, a pundit has made a big claim that the decision to again trust him against Chelsea could backfire.

The fans would love to see Rashford do well, as he is from the academy. However, the fans have rightfully pointed out on social media that his form has dropped after signing a new contract.

Erik ten Hag has been urged to stick to his ‘disciplinarian’ approach

Marcus Rashford was close to nonexistent in the 1-0 loss against Newcastle United. This has led to serious criticism from the soccer universe. And this isn’t the first occurrence. However, ten Hag has continued to back his main goal scorer from last season. ESPN’s Mark Ogden has also claimed that a decision to start the 26-year-old could be disastrous. He said, “The attitude towards Rashford has just gone through the floor…I think you know Erik ten Hag has tried to position himself as a disciplinarian, a guy who picks a team on merit. If he doesn’t drop Marcus Rashford against Chelsea…It will send the message that he’s the one player that I can’t drop because he’s our highest-paid player.“

Rashford’s performances have taken a huge dip this season. Erik ten Hag has the likes of Antony and Facundo Pellistri to replace the England international in the team. Antony was sharp when he came on against Newcastle United. On the other hand, Rashford couldn’t create anything in the opposition box. Nor did he help in defending. Manchester United and Erik ten Hag are currently in the headlines for the wrong reasons. There are reports of disappointment in the dressing room. Let’s dive deeper.

Erik ten Hag reacts to the claims made about players revolting against him

There were rumors in the English media that the Dutch manager had lost 50% of his dressing room ahead of the game against Chelsea. A decision was made to ban certain journalists from his press conference. The club mentioned in their statement that they were not even contacted by the media to make a statement about this rumor.

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Erik ten Hag was also not happy that the media went behind their backs and printed this story. He further added, “If the players have a different opinion, of course, I will listen, but they haven’t told me, or maybe one or two [players], but the majority want to play like this proactive, dynamic, brave”, as compiled by the BBC.

Who will win, Manchester United or Chelsea, as per your prediction? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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