Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag slams Jamie Redknapp over Marcus Rashford punditry
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has branded Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp "not okay" for suggesting he had dropped Marcus Rashford as a punishment.
Rashford was named on the bench for United's goalless draw with Crystal Palace, having started in their first six games of the season. Ten Hag clarified before kick-off he was rotating Rashford, who had scored three goals in his previous two games, citing the form of fellow wingers Alejandro Garnacho and Amad.
Ten Hag had spoken about Rashford's need to improve his discipline and professionalism at his pre-match press conference on Thursday. Redknapp, one of the pundits for Sky's coverage of the game, said before kick-off: "It feels something's gone on untoward... There's obviously something that's happened."
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At his post-match press conference, Ten Hag appeared to refer to Redknapp's baseless claim: "Already, the speculation, some pundits, that's crazy. I would almost say as a person you are not okay when you bring such speculation if you don't know what's on.
"This is just rotation. We have many games to cover, we have more than 11 starting players but we have to give all the players, if they perform, the chances and finally we will find out, of course, the players who perform better will play more.
"But this, nothing to do, I am very happy with Marcus, with everything, with his defending part, offensive, he scores in this moment, so he performs very good. Nothing to do that he was on the bench, just rotation.
"I have to say Amad is playing very good, I have to say Garnacho, all of the games so far, apart from maybe Liverpool, he has end product. We have to play them as well."
Redknapp is the latest pundit Ten Hag has rounded on over Rashford, three weeks on from describing Alan Shearer's analysis of the United forward on Match of the Day as "stupid".
United created several chances in the first half at Selhurst Park, where they hit the crossbar twice and drew six saves from man of the match Dean Henderson. The reprieves encouraged Palace, who created arguably the best chances of the contest.
"We left them alive in the first half. In and out of possession," Ten Hag added. "We played a really good game. The only thing I can criticise is we were not clinical enough in the box, not decisive enough, we should have scored. We left them alive in the first half.
"It would be fair to say the second half was more equal and both teams had their chances."