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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says it was \u201cunacceptable\u201d of Marcus Rashford to go to a nightclub party after last weekend\u2019s embarrassing derby defeat to Manchester City.<\/p>\n
The homegrown talent has managed just one goal for the misfiring Red Devils during a poor start to the season on both an individual and collective level.<\/p>\n
Rashford has looked a far cry from the player that plundered 30 goals for United last term and his off-field decision-making came into question after last Sunday\u2019s 3-0 defeat to City.<\/p>\n
Reports emerged the following day that the England international, who turned 26 on Tuesday, had gone to the Chinawhite nightclub for a pre-arranged birthday party hours after the Old Trafford loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I am aware of it,\u201d manager Ten Hag said of Rashford\u2019s post-derby night out.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spoke with him about it. It\u2019s unacceptable, I told him, he apologised and that\u2019s it. For the rest it\u2019s an internal matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ten Hag repeated it was an \u201cinternal matter\u201d when asked if Rashford had been fined for an incident that he says will not impact his availability for Saturday\u2019s crunch Premier League trip to Fulham.<\/p>\n
The United boss also clarified that his place among the substitutes in Wednesday\u2019s 3-0 Carabao Cup exit to Newcastle was due to rotation rather than punishment.<\/p>\n
Rashford was dropped to the bench at Wolves last season for timekeeping, but Ten Hag rejected the notion that the academy graduate is not attuned to his demands.<\/p>\n
He has to be as close as possible to the opponents’ goal, because there are his qualities<\/p>\n
\u201cYour suggestion is not right,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s fitting in, he\u2019s very motivated to put things right.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know which effort he is putting in. He\u2019s totally with us. So, he makes a mistake, but that doesn\u2019t say he\u2019s not fitting in. I see him every day in training, what he\u2019s doing, I know.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, he makes one mistake but also, off the pitch, what he is doing, how he lives, and I\u2019m sure he is doing everything right to help the team to perform and to let us win.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ten Hag can ill afford any distractions right now but it was notable how much public backing he showed Rashford despite his clear annoyance at his post-derby decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has to be as close as possible to the opponents\u2019 goal, because there are his qualities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere he is so important for us and he will contribute so much to our success.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to get him there as a team and he, as an individual, also he has to make his movements to arrive in the right moments, so his timing is right and I\u2019m sure he will be back.\u201d<\/p>\n
How the Red Devils and their manager could do with Rashford getting back his scoring touch at Fulham on Saturday lunchtime.<\/p>\n
The midweek loss to Newcastle was their eighth defeat in 15 matches in all competitions, making this United\u2019s worst start to a season since 1962-63.<\/p>\n
That run has led to scrutiny and speculation about Ten Hag\u2019s position, but the \u201cfighter\u201d will not give up on a job that nobody has able to successfully fill since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s possible, I\u2019m convinced (United can be successful),\u201d the defiant Dutchman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes you have difficult periods and when you stick together \u2013 and we are together \u2013 then we come through these difficult periods.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked whether the structure is right for club to be a success, Ten Hag said: \u201cI wouldn\u2019t work here if I thought it wasn\u2019t right.\u201d<\/p>\n
All the focus right now is righting the United ship before November\u2019s international break, with games against Fulham and Luton bookending the crunch Champions League clash in Copenhagen.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlways, when the team is not playing well, you think about it, to get it right,\u201d Ten Hag added. \u201cI\u2019m not thinking about things away from the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, sometimes I need my relaxation to get energy, but for now it\u2019s 24\/7. You think about \u2018how do I get this right?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n