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Like many of United’s players, Rashford has been in woeful form this season, scoring just two goals and making four assists in 20 appearances.
His poor performances have perhaps been more notably after the England forward scored a career best 30 goals in the last campaign.
The Red Devils could really do with that Rashford on Sunday when they travel to arch-rivals and Premier League leaders Liverpool, though the 26-year-old may miss the clash as he’s been suffering with norovirus all week.
In his pre-match press conference, Ten Hag was asked what approach he was taking to try and get Rashford back to his best and he had a rather curious answer.
‘I think for almost any player it’s an arm around the shoulder, sometimes a kick in the a**,’ the manager said.
‘It can make a difference in the management which approach you are taking, a kick in the a** or an arm around the shoulder,’ though he did not reveal which one the forward would be getting.
With United out of Europe and struggling in the league, there has been speculation that Ten Hag could be sacked if results don’t improve, with the Liverpool clash potentially his last game in charge.
After all, it was in this exact fixture five years ago that Jose Mourinho was given the axe following a 3-1 loss at Anfield, but Ten Hag doesn’t believe history will repeat itself.
‘I’m not concerned about that [the sack]. I want to win, I want to win with my team, progress the team in the right direction. We are here in a project,’ the Dutchman added.
‘Last season we were heading in the right direction. This season we haven’t met the standards we expect to have. That’s the truth. We have had a set back.
‘I think the future for Manchester United is very good if you see how many good players we have in the squad, how many good young players who have really high potential to play at a top level world wide. I am sure when the injured players come back this team will perform better.
‘I see the quality on the training pitch, but the only moment they have to prove it is in the games themselves. And this team have proved it in certain games, when they have been under high pressure, and played very good football.’
MORE : Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson explains how his ‘masterplan’ earned a draw at Manchester City
MORE : Manchester United star Sergio Reguilon linked with shock January exit against Erik ten Hag’s wishes
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