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Roy Keane has referred to Erik ten Hag’s remarks complimenting Bruno Fernandes following Manchester United’s victory over Everton as “complete nonsense”.
The manager commended Fernandes for letting Marcus Rashford take a penalty in the second half of the win at Goodison Park.
Rashford, who has not been performing at his best and struggling to score this season, successfully scored from the penalty spot to give Manchester United a 2-0 lead, with Anthony Martial later scoring a third goal.
Afterwards, Ten Hag praised Fernandes’ gesture as the regular spot-kick taker for the club.
“The Dutch manager explained how Bruno’s leadership as a captain was evident in his ability to recognize that his team-mate needed that goal.”
The victory marked another successful streak for the Old Trafford team, currently ranked sixth in the Premier League and only four points away from securing a spot in the Champions League.
Former Manchester United player Keane believes that Ten Hag’s remarks show that the mindset of his former club has shifted. The Irishman implies that they are content with ranking sixth.
Marcus Rashford converted a penalty kick in a 3-0 victory.
“He’s giving toffee out there to Bruno for passing on the ball for the penalty. Absolute bloody rubbish,” Keane said on Sky Sports. “[That’s] absolute rubbish coming out with that.
In the present, Manchester United holds the sixth spot in their league. In the past, a sixth place ranking would have been considered embarrassing, but it appears they are content with it now.
“They still have a lot of ground to cover. Manchester United should strive to be on par with the top teams, including Liverpool, [Manchester] City, and Arsenal. Despite their talented roster, their performance has not been satisfactory. While they may currently be in a favorable position, the ultimate goal of playing for Manchester United is to challenge the best teams.”
Ten Hag’s team has now achieved a three-game winning streak in the league after defeating Everton.
The objective is to increase Rashford’s confidence, as he has not been performing at his highest level in this season but is still an important player.
Marcus Rashford was surrounded by his Manchester United colleagues after scoring against Everton.
Fernandes is confident that his teammate will return to a top-notch level in the near future.
The Portuguese creator, speaking to Sky Sports, believed that Marcus needed a boost of confidence and some goals. He also mentioned that Marcus is a skilled penalty-taker and was confident that he would be successful in scoring the penalty. Ultimately, the focus should be on scoring the penalty rather than who takes it, and Marcus executed it perfectly.
“Without a doubt, forwards and wingers have a strong desire to score goals as it is a crucial aspect of their role and can provide a positive impact. Following the successful penalty, Marcus was in top form and able to take on any opponent. It’s important to have moments like this to regain confidence.”
“Marcus has been a valuable asset to our team. After his outstanding performance last season, there were high hopes for him this season. The key is for him to regain his scoring prowess and then everyone will recognize him as a world-class player once again.”
Source: independent.co.uk
