Marcus Rashford has detailed how Erik ten Hag has been urging the Manchester United squad to express themselves on the pitch now that the settling-in period is over.
The Reds have lost just one of their past 14 matches and have not fallen at home since the opening-day defeat to Brighton. The following loss to Brentford outlined how to bag a task Ten Hag on his hands and the Dutchman has been credited for the way he has managed to turn the tide.
When asked what the reason was behind the manager’s success, Rashford detailed how Ten Hag has instilled an “environment” that has helped the squad settle in well from the change at the helm.
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The striker told club media the uplift was down to “a combination of a lot of things”, adding: “I think the feeling of everything being new has settled and gone, that’s credit to the manager and his staff for creating that environment.
“That’s a big one, for players to settle in and feel more comfortable to try things and just be systematic. The manager is obviously encouraging us to express ourselves on the pitch.
“I think it’s clear now that we have a way of playing, a clear identity of playing and he wants us to stick to it but in the right areas, go and express yourself and try things that can make a difference.”
Rashford is United’s top scorer this season with 18 goals under his belt, 13 more than he achieved throughout the whole of last term. He netted seven times in January, also providing four assists, and consequently was named player of the month by club fans and the Premier League Player of the Month for January.
The 25-year-old said it was a “nice feeling” to win the awards and reckoned that his terrific goal-getting form was partly down to “being in the right place at the right time.”
He continued: “Consistently being in the areas can be tough at times because the ball’s not always there. So you’re probably in there five, six, seven times before you get that one chance. It just shows the volume of work that you have to put in.
“Like I said, I’m pleased that they’re going in and I feel confident enough to take the chances when they come so it’s about searching for that chance, and you have 95 minutes in a game to do it.”
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