Marcus Rashford insists ten Hag's 'fresh ideas' will help Man United
Marcus Rashford insists Erik ten Hag’s ‘fresh ideas and tactics’ will help Man United get off to a fast Premier League start after torrid campaign under Ralf Rangnick – as uncertainty looms over Cristiano Ronaldo’s future
- Marcus Rashford has lifted the lid on pre-season training under Erik ten Hag
- The English forward praised the new boss for bringing ‘fresh ideas and tactics’
- Rashford scored just four league goals last season as he struggled for form
- Manchester United travel to Thailand for their first pre-season game on July 12
Marcus Rashford is targeting a fast start to Manchester United’s Premier League campaign after Erik ten Hag completed his first week of pre-season training as the new Old Trafford boss.
Rashford suffered his worst year in a United shirt last season, plagued by injuries and often relegated to the bench under interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
The 24-year-old was also dropped from Gareth Southgate’s England team and returns to Manchester looking to rediscover previous form that helped him establish himself as one of Europe’s brightest prospects.
Marcus Rashford praised the ‘fresh tactics and ideas’ Erik ten Hag has brought to Old Trafford
Ten Hag completed his first week of pre-season training as the new Manchester United boss
Rashford and a host of United players not selected for post-season international matches returned for pre-season training last week as Ten Hag kick-started his new era in the Old Trafford hot seat.
‘We have got that feeling of excitement and that buzz around the training ground again and so it is definitely positive going into pre-season,’ said Rashford, speaking to MUTV.
‘It is just about, one, getting the principles right of how Erik wants us to play and the details, and, two, enjoying it.
‘In the first week of training we have done both and everyone is looking forward to going on the tour and putting what we have done in training into the first games.’
The arrival of the former Ajax manager was well received by United fans, and as revealed by Rashford, the players as well, with the Dutchman’s fresh tactics giving them a new challenge to look forward to.
‘I think for me, it is just fresh ideas, fresh tactics and a new personality that has been added to the team,’ he added.
United players not selected for international duty have now returned for pre-season training
Rashford scored the fewest league goals of his career (four) for his boyhood club last season
‘I am looking forward to working with him but also for us to give ourselves time as well to fit into what he wants us to do and to really feel natural doing it.
‘That is what he wants us to do, for it to be second nature doing the things he wants us to do. Those things do take time but it is a challenge we are all looking forward to.’
Rashford underwent shoulder surgery following the conclusion of Euro 2020 and was widely tipped to have a stellar season for his boyhood club.
But he scored a personal low of just four Premier League goals in 25 appearances as United failed to lift any silverware and limped to a Europa League finish.
However, he feels the added benefit of a global pre-season tour will aid the club in their attempts to bounce back under their new manager next season.
Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Old Trafford this summer in search of Champions League football after just one season at United following his return to the club
‘I don’t think I have had a proper pre-season since 2019 so for me it is definitely a positive thing.
‘I feel like I probably needed that time to switch off a little bit and me having that time enabled me to refocus a lot earlier than I expected to be honest.
‘I feel ready and focused so when that first game does come it’s good to know you have done almost six weeks of training beforehand. It will definitely be a positive,’ said Rashford.
The winger also admitted players have ‘enjoyed the training sessions’ at their Carrington complex after a disastrous end to Ralf Rangnick’s interim spell in charge last season.
Ten Hag has reportedly been hot on discipline since taking charge at the club, ordering players to arrive at 9am and putting them through lengthy training sessions with the 52-year-old being ‘very detailed out on the grass and even in the rules of each game’.
Rashford will be hoping to impress new boss Ten Hag as he competes to become a regular starter at Old Trafford following last season’s disastrous campaign
But Rashford gave an even deeper insight into training at one of the world’s biggest clubs, admitting ‘We are not just doing all football and all running, we are doing a little bit of both so it’s fun and it’s good signs looking forward.’
The future of star forward and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has been cast into doubt as the forward reportedly targets a summer exit from Old Trafford in search of Champions League football.
Ten Hag hasn’t made any summer signings so far this transfer window, but a deal for Feyenoord Tyrell Malacia is expected to be completed soon after the full-back arrived in Manchester for his medical on Sunday.
United will jet off to Thailand for the start of their pre-season tour in less than ten days time as Premier League clubs ramp up their preparations for the start of the new season.
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