Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, is pleased that players like Marcus Rashford are gaining confidence early in the year.
The Red Devils hope to build on their strong comeback from the international break as they travel to Crystal Palace on Saturday night for their Premier League match.
United has defeated Southampton 3-0 and thrashed Barnsley 7-0 in the Carabao Cup, recovering from disheartening losses to Brighton and Liverpool.
After struggling to find his footing in the previous campaign, Rashford turned things around this time around with a brace against the Tykes and his first goal since March at St Mary’s.
Ten Hag remarked, “It’s very good, of course, that your strikers are starting to score when the season is very young.”
“Strikers require that confidence, and we now have a few guys who are on the scoring list in the meantime.
“It is excellent for a team because it will boost their confidence and encourage them to try harder and score more goals.”
Christian Eriksen and Alejandro Garnacho all scored goals alongside Rashford on a night when Antony celebrated his first-ever start of the season with a penalty kick.
The 24-year-old winger had only made one prior appearance, coming off the bench in the late stages of the team’s defeat at Brighton. He arrived from Ajax for an initial £80.6 million in 2022.
Ten Hag stated of Antony, “I think every player should give those reactions.”
“You must put in a lot of effort at the gym, do well there, earn the right to play, and seize the opportunity when it presents itself.
“However, keep in mind that the manager can only select 11 players and add five substitutes, so make sure you have those 16 players for every game.”
“And you accomplish that by consistently performing in training—which is, of course, the most crucial thing to do when you have the opportunity to play in a game.
“You need to be a part of a winning team.”
Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund returned to training this week, so United will check on them before heading south.
Leny Yoro, Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw, and Victor Lindelof are still out, but the team’s injury crisis from the previous campaign is nothing like it this time around.
These problems were evident during United’s humiliating 4-0 loss at Palace in May, which Ten Hag claims cannot be compared to the current situation.
“Perhaps you could also draw comparisons with the FA Cup final,” he remarked.
“Don’t compare it because of the conditions at that point in the season. Starting in February, we had to consistently find 11 guys who could put together a winning squad.
“We can choose a team now that we have 18 players and are in a different location.”