By dropping Rashford and winning, Ten Hag has sent a message

MANCHESTER – Erik ten Hag took back control of Manchester United by proving that no player is bigger than the team. By dropping Marcus Rashford and then seeing his side seal a 2-1 win over Chelsea on Wednesday, Ten Hag delivered a clear message to the dissenters in the dressing room.

After days of negative headlines regarding Ten Hag's management style, his hold on the team and his ability to turn the tide and quell unrest among his players, the former Ajax Amsterdam coach put his hand on the block by dropping Rashford and backing United to win. without him.

Had things gone the other way, Rashford and players doubting Ten Hag's credentials would have had reason to question the manager's methods, but two goals from Scott McTominay – ironically, a player Ten Hag was set to move to West Ham United this summer – – won the points before Rashford was given seven minutes as a late replacement for the exhausted Rasmus Hojlund.

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The point had been made: Rashford is an important player at United, but they can win without him, and if he wants to get his place back, he will have to earn it.

“When we stay united and have the right attitude, we have the performances to pick up points,” Ten Hag said in his post-match press conference. “You see how we won points: we dominated our opponent with possession and that's how we want to play.

“Crisis? Not for us. We stay calm, believe in the process. We know what we need to build and we don't get distracted by the criticism around us.”

Every top manager faces make-or-break decisions at one point or another, and Ten Hag has had several since taking charge at Old Trafford in the summer of 2022.

He dropped Cristiano Ronaldo and publicly criticized the striker's behavior before allowing his departure from the club midway through last season – an important decision he made well – and also sent out Harry Maguire, Jadon Sancho and Raphaël Varane to long periods of absence due to loss of form or indiscipline.

But naming a starting XI without Rashford was arguably Ten Hag's biggest decision since arriving at United, as the England striker is tipped to be the future – the exciting striker with the goals and high reputation to bring back the team fighting for major trophies. .

Since becoming United's highest-paid player by signing a new five-year contract this summer, Rashford has been anything but the star the club expected him to be, scoring just two Premier League goals all season.

And his dismal, selfless performance in Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United was undoubtedly the lowest of his season so far. His surprised reaction to being replaced by Ten Hag at St James' Park seemed a direct challenge to the manager's authority, as if to suggest that Ten Hag was taking a big gamble by calling him to the bench with almost half a hour to play.

Had he named Rashford in his squad against Chelsea, Ten Hag would have given a clear signal that, despite his lack of form, the 26-year-old was unbeatable. When the squads were announced and Rashford was named as a substitute, Ten Hag told MUTV, United's in-house channel, that it was simply a matter of “rotation”, but it was much more that.

Ten Hag challenged their front three, Antony, Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho, to justify their decision to omit Rashford, and each of them, in their own way, showed qualities that Rashford has failed to show this season.

Antony posed a constant threat despite his heavy reliance on his left foot, while Hojlund's work rate was relentless all night. Garnacho showed energy down the left flank and his cross led to McTominay's opening goal in the 19th minute.

None of the front three looked as menacing and graceful as Rashford when he was at his best, but United and Ten Hag need commitment and effort to shake them out of their malaise, and all three produced it.

McTominay has these qualities in abundance. Once again, he lacks the composure of a top player, but Ten Hag can always count on the effort and tenacity of the Scottish midfielder.

If United are ever to return to the top of English and European football, they will need more than McTominay's honest qualities to beat the best, but Ten Hag's side are still a work in progress, and until Players like Rashford are returning to peak form. , just getting the basics right will be a minimum requirement.

And McTominay emerging as the match-winner with his second-half header after Cole Palmer's 44th-minute equalizer was perhaps fitting on a day when Rashford spent the majority of the game on the bench.

McTominay makes the most of his skills with effort and determination, but he is nowhere near as naturally gifted as Rashford.

Yet that's the message to Rashford and others in the team who fail to fulfill their potential: effort and commitment can make up for all sorts of shortcomings.

But Ten Hag now knows he can move forward with or without them. His team proved it by beating Chelsea.