Warning: Erik ten Hag's treatment of Man Utd star could lead to 'dressing room problems'

Erik ten Hag's handling of Marcus Rashford may potentially cause significant unrest in the Manchester United locker room.

That’s according to former Red Devils striker Louis Saha who believes the Dutchman is picking a fight with Rashford in the same way he did with Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho in the past.

Rashford, who endured a difficult campaign last season, found the back of the net for the first time since March in last weekend’s victory over Southampton.

The 26-year-old then scored twice in the midweek Carabao Cup clash with Barnsley before being surprisingly omitted from United’s starting line-up for the trip to Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Ten Hag said Rashford’s benching was simply for rotation, but many, including pundit Jamie Redknapp, suspected something was awry, especially given his pre-match comments which called into question the forward’s lifestyle.

‘I think he always knew, and every player knows, because when your lifestyle is not right you can’t perform,’ Ten Hag said.

Ahead of United’s Europa League fixture against Twente, Saha has urged Ten Hag to approach his man-management of Rashford differently or risk upsetting one of his most senior players.

‘I struggle to understand Erik ten Hag’s communication and the way that he talks about players in the press,’ Saha told cryptocasinosuk.net.

‘From the point of view of a former player it’s not the kind of thing a manager should be saying in a press conference before a game. The timing of it is all wrong.

‘Ten Hag must have known when he made those comments about Rashford that he was going to be on the bench against Crystal Palace. Rashford is not a small player – he’s one of Manchester United biggest and most important players.

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‘We’ve seen managers pick on players before. It’s common for a manager to pick on the biggest star and make an example of him to show the other players who is the boss and that anyone can be on the bench, but there is a way to do it.

‘I think Ten Hag has done it completely wrong, and, in the end, there’s a danger that he will upset the player. That won’t be good for anyone and that can create problems in the dressing room.’

Saha continued: ‘We’ve seen Ten Hag fall out with Cristiano Ronaldo, with Jadon Sancho. These are players with big reputations. Anything with him or with Rashford is going to create headlines – that’s why you have to handle your communication with these players privately.

‘Rashford is the only player in that United squad that is completely unplayable on his day. He is the only player in the squad who has the capacity and the potential to score 30 goals a season.

‘This is why ten Hag needs to realise that if he wants to have a team that is capable of winning or challenging for the Premier League title, he needs to get the best out of Rashford.

‘I don’t think that Ten Hag understands the consequences of his communication and how it negatively impacts his players.’

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