Will Ten Hag Respond? Ferdinand Backs Redknapp: I Also Can’t Understand Why He Benched Rashford

Rashford’s recent form has noticeably improved. In the Premier League match where Manchester United beat Southampton 3-0, Rashford scored an excellent goal. In the EFL Cup match where Manchester United defeated Barnsley 7-0, Rashford contributed with two goals and one assist. However, in the Premier League match that ended in a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace, Ten Hag did not start Rashford, instead opting for Garnacho, Zirkzee, and Diallo. Due to the inability to break the deadlock, Ten Hag brought Rashford on as a substitute midway through the second half, but Rashford was unable to change the course of the game.

Regarding Ten Hag’s decision to “bench” Rashford, former Liverpool star Redknapp said, “It’s incomprehensible. While I don’t know the specifics, something must have happened because I can’t understand why Ten Hag would bench a player in such good form.” In response to Redknapp’s comments, Ten Hag quickly replied, “I heard some experts speculating, and it’s all baseless. They know nothing yet try to sow discord between me and my players. It was simply a rotation, nothing more.”

While everyone was still digesting the comments from Redknapp and Ten Hag, former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand also weighed in on Ten Hag’s decision to bench Rashford: “With Rashford in such good form, I also can’t understand why Ten Hag chose to put him on the bench. Rashford is finding his rhythm, which is a crucial time for building any player’s confidence, so choosing to rotate now seems ill-advised.”

Ferdinand added, “We are trying to get back on a winning track, but we’re benching our best-performing player at this moment. Yes, I’m glad to see Ten Hag come out and respond, saying it was just a rotation and there were no other factors. But for Rashford, being benched when he’s in good form is certainly confusing.”

On September 26th at 3 AM, in the first round of the Europa League, Manchester United will host Twente at Old Trafford. Whether Ten Hag will start Rashford has become a point of significant attention.