Football: Rashford on target again as Man United cruise past Forest
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Manchester United's Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring their first goal.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag believes that his team have to be more ruthless, as they made a positive start to life without Cristiano Ronaldo with a 3-0 Premier League home win over Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.
Forwards Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial stepped out from the Portuguese superstar’s shadow to score. But the Dutchman is still targeting a striker to replace the 37-year-old in the transfer market to make the Red Devils more clinical in the final third.
Ronaldo’s roller-coaster second spell at Old Trafford came to an end during the World Cup break, after an explosive interview in which he took aim at ten Hag and the club’s owners.
On the field, his influence had already waned since the 52-year-old coach took charge at the start of the season.
Rashford, on the other hand, has been a player transformed under ten Hag and carried his fine form for England at the World Cup into the Premier League’s return.
“Our players performed really well in the World Cup, I was happy to see that and now they continue,” ten Hag said. “They have to stay on that level, keep going and progress from game to game.
“I’m happy with three goals and there could have been even more. We also have a clean sheet, so I think we have a good return after the break. It was nice to watch our game. We are growing but... there is a lot of work to do to get back to the highest standards.
“We have to score more goals. I think we created so many chances, it takes us until just before the end to make the third goal. I think we have to finish the game in earlier moments.”
A brilliantly worked corner opened the floodgates for United, as Christian Eriksen picked out an unmarked Rashford inside the area to sweep into the top corner.
Forest were without their first-choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson as he is on loan from United and his understudy Wayne Hennessey was culpable when the home side doubled their lead just three minutes later.
Rashford burst down the left and teed up Martial at the edge of the box. The Frenchman’s strike should not have had enough power to beat the Wales goalkeeper, who let a weak shot slip through his hands.
United were also short handed at the back with Lisandro Martinez absent following Argentina’s World Cup celebrations, Diogo Dalot injured and Harry Maguire still feeling the after-effects of an illness.
As a result, Raphael Varane was forced into starting just nine days after playing 113 minutes for France in the World Cup final, while Luke Shaw lined up as a centre-back in a back four for the first time.
But Forest did little to test a makeshift backline as they remain with just one away goal in the league all season.
Steve Cooper’s men did have the ball in the net shortly before half-time, but Willy Boly’s effort was ruled out for offside.
The home side should have added more than one goal in the second half, scored by Fred in the 87th minute, leading ten Hag to repeat his call for a new striker.
United have already missed out on one target with Cody Gakpo set to join rivals Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven.
“We are looking for a striker because games are coming every three days,” said the United boss.
“It’s tough... Hopefully we can keep going till the end of the season, so we need numbers in the squad.”
Victory takes United to within one point of the top four and with a game in hand to come on fourth-placed Tottenham.
Forest remain rooted in the relegation zone but just one point adrift of safety.
“I just felt like we could have backed ourselves a bit more in the game. We got in between the lines two or three times in the first half and we didn’t make a difference with it,” said Cooper.
“In the end at this level you do have to make the most of those situations.” AFP
