Marcus Rashford has called on the Man Utd squad to come together and bounce back from their heavy defeat at Brentford with a win over Liverpool to get their season back on track.
United’s 4-0 thrashing in west London last weekend left Erik ten Hag’s side rock bottom of the Premier League, having also lost their season opener at home to Brighton.
They’re back at Old Trafford for a Monday Night Football clash with arch-rivals Liverpool – live on Sky Sports – and despite the team’s struggles in the early weeks of the season, Rashford is convinced if United work as a unit they can get up and running for the campaign.
“We have a chance to put it right and there’s no better game to do that than Liverpool at Old Trafford,” Rashford told Sky Sports.
“If we can play well and get a result it will be positive for us and get us going for the season.”
Asked if United haven’t always worked as a unit this season, the forward said: “In moments in the games, it’s not happened and we’ve paid the price.
“It’s something we need to do for as long as possible during 90 minutes. We understand in a 90-minute game it can bring you different challenges but as long as we’re all together I’m confident we can deal with whatever is thrown our way. The sooner we do that the better.
“For us it’s just about getting points on the board. We want to get going for the season and once we do that we’ll get a feel for winning again.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Brentford’s win against Manchester United.
Reflecting on how United have fallen from finishing as Premier League runners-up in 2020/21 to dropping to sixth last term, Rashford says hard work and a positive response to the situation can return United to those previous levels.
“It’s been tough,” he said. “Especially last season, we didn’t reach the heights we could have reached. We didn’t reach the standard we’re capable of.
“But it’s something to work towards and definitely right now the team is a work in progress and we have to understand the situation and keep pushing ourselves everyday. That’s the bare minimum and if we keep doing that I’m sure we’ll get back to winning ways.
“You speak about the next step [from second to champions]. Sometimes you can be so close but if you’re not there you’re not there. That distance can be bigger than what it feels like. At the same time we can’t go away from the fact that two years ago we were up there and competing against the best teams in the league.
Rashford featured in Man Utd’s loss to Brighton
“I remember those games, we were enjoying playing against those teams. We have to try to get that feeling back.
“The first thing is you have to go out there and believe you’re going to win. That’s the biggest thing, belief and confidence in the team and the tactics. We have to have that.
“Football is an unpredictable game. Things can go well, things can go bad but the reaction has to be positive. We’ve not started the season as we’d have liked to but we can’t let that go against the fact it’s early in the season and we’re still working and pushing towards something.
“It can be a good season. Early days everyone always over-exaggerates anyone’s performances but for us we have to stay concentrated on each individual game. We can’t look too far ahead and we definitely can’t look back. We have to stay positive and look forward to the next game.”
Rashford scored just four Premier League goals last season, his lowest tally since bursting onto the scene in 2015/16. He believes his determination to play with injuries may have affected his form but, like his conviction United will return to their previous standard, he is also confident he will soon re-find his scoring touch.
“Yeah, probably,” he says when asked if injuries had affected him. “But at the end of the day a lot of those were decisions I made. I was playing for a long time with these injuries, and they weren’t small injuries, they were injuries I probably should have taken time out [with] and rested. If I feel I can be positive for the team I’ll always try and put myself out there.
“For me it’s just about repetitions and once I start putting the ball in the net again it will be a feeling that will last for a while.”
Monday 22nd August 6:30pm
Kick off 8:00pm
Asked about his commitment to returning United to the successful days, Rashford says: “Yeah 100 per cent.
“For me that’s a non-negotiable at the club. Your situation at the club always changes, sometimes you have good spells sometimes you’re not in a good spell but the one thing that has to remain the same is your dedication and your commitment to training and the games.
“I feel whatever the situation is I have to give 100 per cent for myself, family, friends and the fans.
“For me, I’ve always wanted to be at Man Utd for as long as possible and be competing for trophies and win trophies here at the club. Hopefully we can get back to doing that. It’s something I’m definitely pushing to do.”