Rashford reputation ‘tarnished by bender’ with team-mates, Ten Hag ‘let down’ by Man Utd misfit
Marcus Rashford has ‘tarnished his reputation’ in the Manchester United dressing room due to his escapades this season, according to reports.
The England forward was criticised after he went out on the town following defeat in the Manchester derby in October.
Rashford admits he has made mistakes in his Man Utd career
He went one further in January, calling in sick for training having been spotted in a Belfast nightclub hours before.
Last week, Rashford hit back at his critics in an interview with the Players’ Tribune, admitting he has made mistakes in his career but that his commitment to Manchester United should not be called into question.
“When I make a mistake, I’ll be the first one to put my hand up and say that I need to do better,” the 26-year-old wrote.
“But if you ever question my commitment to Man United, that’s when I have to speak up. It’s like somebody questioning my entire identity, and everything I stand for as a man.
“I grew up here. I have played for this club since I was a boy. My family turned down life-changing money when I was a kid so I could wear this badge.
MEDIAWATCH: Marcus Rashford ‘silenced his critics’ despite Man United defeat in ‘end-to-end’ derby clash
“I can take any criticism. I can take any headline. From podcasts, social media and the papers. I can take it.
“But if you start questioning my commitment to this club and my love for football and bringing my family into it, then I’d simply ask you to have a bit more humanity.”
Related video: Ten Hag says gap between Man Utd and Man City 'not that big'. (Sports AlDente)
Manchester United faced a tough three to one defeat against
Marcus Rashford’s reputation ‘tarnished’ in Man Utd dressing room
Rashford scored a screamer against Manchester City in his first appearance following his interview but his overall performance was very underwhelming.
He will hope to score more goals of that quality while putting in solid all-round performances to win over his team-mates, who ‘felt let down’ by his antics last month, according to the Daily Mail.
The report states that Rashford’s ‘infamous tequila bender’ has done his ‘status as a senior figure in the dressing room’ no good, with Erik ten Hag ‘not the only one to take a dim view of his actions, with some team-mates also feeling let down’.
READ NEXT: Rashford’s Manchester United actions must speak far louder than his thousands of empty words
Keane questions Solskjaer over claim Man Utd player was a ‘seven out of ten every time’
Man Utd legend Roy Keane has questioned Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s suggestion that Fred was consistently at least a “seven out of ten” for the Red Devils.
The Brazilian was often criticised during his time at Old Trafford and eventually left for Turkish club Fenerbahce in the summer for €15m.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Fred was ‘seven, eight out of ten every time’
His former team-mates at Shakhtar Donetsk were understood to be shocked by his £47m move to Man Utd in June 2018 with a report insisting the transfer ‘raised eyebrows’ at the time.
And Man Utd legend Keane, who also played in midfield for the Red Devils, was one of Fred’s biggest critics during his time at Old Trafford.
Speaking after Man Utd were beaten 2-0 by Man City at Old Trafford in November 2021, Keane said: “Anyone who says Fred is good enough for Man Utd is living in cuckoo land and that is an important part of the football pitch.
“If Ole walked in here now I’d grab him and say, ‘why are you playing Fred in the middle of the park, huge position for Manchester United’.”
READ MORE: Man Utd cannot sleep on biggest manager appointment since 2013 in hardest summer
And Keane disagreed with Solskjaer on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast as the former Man Utd boss suggested Fred was a consistent performer.Related video: Why The Glazers Have Set Man United Up To Fail (FourFourTwo)
On whether he sees similarities between his time at Man Utd and Erik ten Hag’s current tenure, Solskjaer said: “Yeah, definitely.
“It’s that consistency again – play well for a time then you don’t know what you’re going to get and that’s the worst thing for a manager. If you don’t know what you’re going to get from your team, it’s horrible, absolutely horrible.
“That’s why when you have a Fred, Scott [McTominay], Nemanja [Matic] – you have players who you know they’re going to give you seven, eight out of ten every time. They’re going to give you everything. That’s the best feeling [as a manager].”
Before Keane interjected: “Fred… seven, eight [out of ten] – not sure about that one.”
To which Solskjaer replied: “I really liked him in midfield – his legs. They needed them legs in midfield.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: There’s no quick fix at Man Utd
When asked if new Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe can turn things around at Old Trafford, Solskjaer added: “I don’t think there’s a magic wand as in, ‘we’ve changed the owners’.
“But obviously, they’ve got their ways of working, the Glazers have still got their commercial, who knows how it’s going to be in football with that side of it.
“Obviously Erik, I hope he’s going to be successful. We hope he’s going to make it, but you never know what the new owners are thinking.
“It’s about results and consistency the rest of the season.”
Solskjaer explains why Man Utd didn’t sign Bellingham or ‘available’ Arsenal star
Former Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claims Jude Bellingham was the “most mature 17-year-old” he’s met but explains how he failed to convince him to sign for the Red Devils.
Bellingham has gone on to become one of the best players in world football with the youngster following a clear plan to get to the top of the game.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Why Man Utd failed to sign Jude Bellingham
After impressing in the Championship at Birmingham City, Bellingham was ready to take the next step in 2020 and Man Utd were keen to take him to Old Trafford.
Bellingham chose to move to Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund despite the Red Devils showing the midfielder around their training facilities and presenting them with their vision of his future.
Solskjaer revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson, Bryan Robson and Eric Cantona all turned up to see the England international and he explained why Bellingham rejected a move to Man Utd.
READ MORE: Man Utd cannot sleep on biggest manager appointment since 2013 in hardest summer
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Solskjaer said: “He knew what he wanted. Jude, he was in the building. You can’t ask a lot more for a midfielder.
“I was there obviously as the manager, Sir Alex was there. Roy should have been there but you weren’t, Bryan Robson was there and Cantona was there that day when he came to the club.Related video: Why Sofyan Amrabat Would Solve Man United's BIGGEST Problem (FourFourTwo)
OK, so Sofiane Amrubat, you may well remember him from
“We all spoke to him. Of course, we sold it to him as well as we could but he knew what he wanted.
“X amount of minutes in the first team. That’s it. The most mature 17-year-old I’ve ever met in my life.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Man Utd ‘should have gone’ for Declan Rice
Declan Rice was another player who was consistently linked with a move to Man Utd during his time at West Ham but he eventually opted to join Arsenal last summer.
Rice has been in brilliant form for Arsenal this season as Mikel Arteta’s men challenge Liverpool and Manchester City for the Premier League title.
And Solskjaer has revealed that Rice was “available” for Man Utd to buy during his time at Old Trafford and that they “should have gone for him”.
Solskjaer added: “Yeah, [there was interest] I really, really like him as a player.
“We discussed him a few times and I think we would have done well with him in midfield. I think his legs, covering the pitch.
“I think he improved a lot on his playmaking as well. Yeah [he was available]. Obviously, he would have cost some money but we could have and should have gone for him.”
Man Utd ‘agree’ eye-watering compensation fee for Dan Ashworth as first Red Devils signing explodes into life
Manchester United are reportedly on the cusp of finalising the appointment of Dan Ashworth from Newcastle as the club’s first-ever sporting director but for a record-breaking fee and with reports in Italy detailing the player likely to become his first signing at Old Trafford.
To kick things off, Ratcliffe has brought in CEO Omar Berrada from Manchester City, while Jean-Claude Blanc – currently employed by INEOS anyway – is expected to join as a director, bringing with him a wealth of experience from his days with both PSG and Juventus.
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However, the biggest behind-the-scenes appointment is about to officially get confirmation with United having moved to appoint Ashworth as the club’s first-ever sporting director. Arriving with a big reputation for his work with the FA, Brighton and most recently, Newcastle, the 52-year-old is one of the most respected names in the game.
United’s approach for Ashworth, though, has angered the Magpies, whom are thought to be raging that Ashworth has decided to jump ship less than two years after stepping into his role at St James’.
Placing him on gardening leave as a result, Ashworth’s current arrangement is believed to run for an initial two more years, and ensures Newcastle have taken a strong-arm approach to negotiations over his release.
Man Utd agree Dan Ashworth agreement
Per reports emanating in the North-East, the Magpies are demanding a £21m package for Ashworth in compensation, arguing that his breach of contract, together with the hole he leaves at the club, entitles them to such a figure.
Now reports in Italy claim United have ‘relucantly agreed’ to meet those demands, with Ratcliffe keen to get Ashworth in place as soon as possible and needing him to officially start preparations for what is expected to be a big summer window at Old Trafford.
United did try and offer Newcastle reduced terms for the 52-year-old, but it’s reported Newcastle have stood their ground, leaving United with little choice but to meet those demands.
However, the fee is eye-wateringly eye and will smash the record pay-out made for a director of football / sporting director in the British game.
Moreover, the fee also sits among the highest compensation amounts ever forked out, with this list here revealing the three most costly managerial appointments of all time.
From a United point of view, they have – in Ratcliffe’s view, at least – wasted far too many millions on failed signings over the years. With Ashworth’s reputation as one of the best around, the Red Devils will see the investment made for the 52-year-old as a sound investment and future-proofing themselves against so many big mistakes in the future.
Ashworth gets to work on first Man Utd signing
With Ashworth to imminently get his feet under the desk at Old Trafford, he will now start working on United’s summer recruitment, with Ratcliffe and Co hoping to strengthen the spine of United’s side.
To that end, they reportedly want a new defender, midfielder and striker at the minimum, while a new right-winger, is also on their radar.
Now reports in Italy claim Ashworth is pushing rapidly forward with plans to strengthen his defence, having identified Juventus’ Gleison Bremer as a primary target.
The Bianconeri will likely need to sell a top asset this summer to help balance the books and the Brazil defender looks a prime candidate to leave.
The 26-year-old has established himself as one of the best centre-halves in Italy and has reportedly made clear his interest in moving to the Premier League.
Juve, for their part, will not let him leave on the cheap. However, during what has been described as preliminary talks between the clubs, it’s reported they have quoted United a price of €60m to €70m (£51m to £60m).
Despite that it’s claimed Ashworth feels his signing would be worth it and would help the Red Devils fix a defence that has so far shipped an alarming 39 goals in just 27 games, leaving the club with an embarrassing -2 goal difference as things stand.
Per the report, Bremer will likely become the first new signing of the Ratcliffe era, with Ashworth now reportedly ready to push forward with negotiations to bring in the formerr Torino man.
READ MORE: Incredible Man Utd XI for 2024/25 as Ratcliffe rebuild takes full shape with several blockbuster incomings
Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City scrap for Bayern star as Man Utd consider trio to replace Ten Hag
The Premier League’s top three are all scrapping over a ‘final piece’ from Bayern Munich, while we also have whispers around Liverpool’s manager and sporting director searches…
PREM’S BEST CLASH OVER KIMMICH
Joshua Kimmich’s agent is at it again…
The Bayern Munich midfielder is due to enter the final year of his contract at Bayern Munich this summer and, so far, there is little sign of a renewal on the horizon. Bayern shelved contract talks with Kimmich and Alphonso Davies, a move which looks set to cost them the Canadian, and possibly the Germany midfielder too.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is a big fan of the 29-year-old having worked with him at Bayern; Mikel Arteta believes Kimmich to be ‘a final piece of the puzzle to complete his Arsenal midfield’; while Liverpool are also keen to swoop.
Kimmich reportedly sees his next deal as his last big contract and had Thomas Tuchel been due to stay in charge at Bayern, we could see him leaving. But Tuchel is on his way and his replacement is almost certain to want to retain one of the Bavarian club’s most senior stars, especially if Davies and Leroy Sane cannot be persuaded to stick around.
Read more: Liverpool’s big three in top 20 stars out of contract in 2025 headed by Bayern trioRelated video: Erling Haaland says his focus is on helping his team, not on missed goals (Daily Mail)
UNITED, LIVERPOOL, ARSENAL MANAGER LATEST
Plenty of boss goss around right now…
At Manchester United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe is still sussing out Erik ten Hag, and in case the verdict results in the Dutchman being shown the door, ESPN says Thomas Frank, Gareth Southgate and Roberto De Zerbi are among the candidates to take over. If United opt for De Zerbi, they – or any club keen to hire the Italian – would have to pay Brighton £12.8million, according to The Mirror. Which would put him third on this list but only the second most-expensive manager to leave Brighton.
There are more reports in the The Telegraph that Bayern Munich are leading the race against Liverpool to appoint Xabi Alonso, while Barcelona are still keen on appointing Mikel Arteta, says Relevo. But the Catalans know they will have a tough time getting the Arsenal manager away from the Emirates.
LIVERPOOL COULD LOOK ABROAD IF HUGHES CHOOSES TOON
Liverpool are not only looking for a new manager but also a sporting director. Which feels like something they ought to have sorted before the Jurgen Klopp succession process began, but here we are…
The Times reports that the Reds are interested in hiring Richard Hughes with the 44-year-old set to leave his post as Bournemouth’s technical director in the summer.
The Independent, though, suggests Hughes is more likely to take over from Man Utd-bound Dan Ashworth at Newcastle, leaving Liverpool to consider ex-AC Milan director of football Frederic Massara and Nice sporting director Florent Ghisolfi.
Worst manager in Premier League history revealed as Kompany and Wilder make strong cases
Aranking of the worst managers in Premier League history based on PPG makes difficult reading for Crystal Palace, Hull, Sunderland and Scott Parker fans.
Chris Wilder (0.96 pts per game) is lurking dangerously close to this list and Vincent Kompany (0.48) is only spared by the 50-game cut-off point; no Premier League manager in history has a lower PPG than the Belgian after at least 25 matches.
The best Premier League managers of all time ranked by PPG are laughing at this sorry lot.
10) Paul Jewell (Bradford, Wigan and Derby): 0.94 pts per game
A couple of dramatic and genuinely impressive relegation escapes with Bradford and Wigan – the latter of whom Pep Guardiola was not good enough to join – set Jewell up for a career of Premier League firefighting. Then the 2007/08 Derby season happened. He was responsible for 45.5% of their overall points tally, which is to say he managed zero wins, five draws and 19 defeats during what might just forever remain his last top-flight reign. 9) John Deehan (Norwich): 0.93 pts per game
Barely surpassing the number of games needed for eligibility on this list, Deehan inherited a fine Norwich side when Mike Walker jumped ship to Everton in January 1994 but the Canaries were soon lost down the mine, losing 26 and winning just 11 games under the man who would take them back down into the First Division; Deehan guided Wigan to the Third Division title in his next and only other permanent post as a first-team manager, which he left in 1998. 8) Neil Warnock (Sheffield United, QPR, Crystal Palace and Cardiff): 0.93 pts per game
Between those four Premier League posts, Warnock only ever completed two full seasons. It just so happens that those were the campaigns which resulted in relegation, with the other two seeing the clubs in question survive after sacking him. The great man earned his ultimately unsuccessful tilts with Sheffield United and Cardiff, and would not have begrudged QPR or Palace their safety after being replaced in January 2012 and December 2014 respectively.
READ MORE: Loveable firefighter Neil Warnock interim era manager jobs ranked amid ‘retirement’
7) Steve Cooper (Nottingham Forest): 0.91 pts per game
It is a harsh reflection on a job done so well in sub-optimal circumstances that Nottingham Forest supporters showed their love and appreciation to Cooper in the immediate aftermath of a 5-0 defeat to Fulham, less than a fortnight before he was sacked. The Trees were outside the relegation zone when the popular manager was shown the door and another triumphant survival bid was perfectly feasible for a manager likely to return to the top flight some day.
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Steve Cooper apologises to Nottingham Forest fans after defeat
6) Steve Kean (Blackburn): 0.90 pts per game
Former Singapore League champion and 2015 Coach of the Year Kean nevertheless had a chastening start to life in management, replacing Sam Allardyce in controversial conditions and proceeding to entirely torpedo Blackburn’s established Premier League status of the previous decade. Forcing Liverpool into sacking Roy Hodgson and beating both Arsenal and Manchester United en route to relegation were genuine achievements. 5) Phil Brown (Hull): 0.88 pts per game
That phenomenal Geovanni-inspired start to the 2008/09 season is doing some ludicrously heavy lifting, a run of six wins, two draws and one defeat to kick off Hull’s first top-flight season accounting for 20 of Brown’s 59 career Premier League points as a manager. That second bite at the cherry seems unlikely to materialise unless he takes Kidderminster up through the divisions. 4) Iain Dowie (Crystal Palace, Charlton and Hull): 0.81 pts per game
Properly miserable territory now, this. Dowie’s fingerprints were all over relegations in all three of his Premier League jobs: with Palace despite Andy Johnson’s best efforts; guiding Charlton to an unrecoverable position of 20th before his November sacking; and finishing the fine work of Brown when he took over Hull in March 2010. 3) David Wagner (Huddersfield): 0.80 pts per game
One remarkable survival season with Huddersfield was immediately followed by a dreadful season which culminated in Wagner leaving by mutual consent after winning three of his last 32 games. He could well be back soon with Norwich so we can do the whole German/American thing again. 2) Mick McCarthy (Sunderland and Wolves): 0.79 pts per game
Roy Keane’s best friend is forever indebted to Derby for distracting from just how dreadful a record he has. McCarthy inherited an awful Sunderland side in 2002/03 but between that side and the iteration he guided back up through securing the Championship title two years later, the Irishman lost his first 14 games as a top-flight manager, scoring four goals. Those two Sunderland outfits still rank among the worst Premier League teams ever and while McCarthy did scrape through survival battles with Wolves in 2010 and 2011, he was sacked with them crashing inexorably back into the second tier in 2012. 1) Scott Parker (Fulham and Bournemouth): 0.77 pts per game
Fair play to all chairmen for agreeing that the funniest possible outcome in the stuttering career of Parker is for his final match as a manager in English football to be a 9-0 thrashing after which he condemned Bournemouth to relegation, was subsequently sacked and then had to watch complete novice Gary O’Neil keep them up with relative ease. The level of fawning across his two brief Premier League dalliances with Fulham belied some really quite poor results.
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