Sir Jim Ratcliffe has new Rashford Future Dilemma at Man Utd

Highlights

• Erik ten Hag has had to rely on young talent like Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund at Manchester United.
• Unlike Sir Alex Ferguson, Ten Hag has been forced to throw his young stars in at the deep end due to inconsistency elsewhere.
• Marcus Rashford’s future is in the hands of Sir Jim Ratcliffe with some saying the forward has a difficult relationship with Ten Hag.

Erik ten Hag is fire-fighting on so many fronts it’s almost impossible for the Dutchman to manage Manchester United as he’d want.

A crippling injury list, erratic form by some established stars and constant speculation on his own future has backed Ten Hag into a corner.

And it’s meant he can’t use the one tactic so brilliantly employed by legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson in United’s heyday of winning titles galore during his 27-year reign.

When it came to managing young talent Ferguson was the master.

Starting with a teenage Ryan Giggs and followed by the exceptionally talented Class of ‘92 – which included Paul Scholes and David Beckham – Ferguson handled United’s starlets with kid gloves.

Ferguson used a protective strategy that made sure his youngsters wouldn’t suffer burn-out by being overplayed and would add youthful energy to a team full of established trophy-winning stars.

Sadly for Ten Hag, he’s not got the time to employ the same methods with Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund.

Despite all three being young and inexperienced, midfielder Mainoo, Argentinian winger Garnacho and Danish hit-man Hojlund – 18,19 and 21 respectively – have become so important to the team, Ten Hag simply can’t do without them.

The trio have become United’s top performers in recent weeks and played a key role in helping Ten Hag’s men notch five straight wins before their defeat by Fulham.

It was little surprise United lost that game with Hojlund missing, Mainoo off the pace after playing thirteen straight matches and Garnacho moved to left wing – a position that hasn’t brought the best from the exciting star.

United weren’t at their best either in scraping a last-gasp win at Forest to set-up an FA Cup quarter-final with Liverpool with Mainoo rested until the closing minutes, Hojlund missing through injury and Garnacho again deployed on the left wing.

It’s not rocket science to work out United are a different proposition with their three young guns starting – and that’s the problem for Ten Hag.

Unlike Ferguson, Ten Hag doesn’t have the luxury of drip-feeding his best young players into the team and taking them out of the firing line even if they were going well.

Ferguson had big characters with a robust work ethic and huge desire, captains all over the pitch and an embedded playing style that left every player with a clear job.

By contrast Ten Hag’s team is struggling in all those categories – with the Three Amigos the exception in an otherwise bleak season of underachievement.

That’s why they’ve become the three most vital players in his team – and why Ten Hag can’t afford not to play them despite the risks.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has Rashford sale dilemma this summer

The harsh economics of Manchester United’s financial and football plight means Marcus Rashford’s future is in the hands of new investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Rashford has endured a poor season on and off the pitch with just five goals in 32 games for United and a headline-grabbing unsanctioned trip to Belfast which brought him a fine of two weeks’ wages thought to be in excess of £600,000.

According to some, Rashford and manager Erik ten Hag now have a difficult relationship after the tequila-fuelled booze binge in Belfast.

And that’s left Ratcliffe facing a dilemma over the striker this summer.

Should he cash in on the 26-year-old Mancunian – or give him another chance to prove his worth to the club?

Rashford, moving into the prime years of his career, has been on Paris Saint-Germain’s radar for some time with the French giants losing Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid at the end of the season.

It promises to be a crucial summer for Rashford with his place in Gareth Souhtgate’s Euro 24 England squad in jeopardy due to poor form – and the prospect of Ratcliffe pulling the plug on his United career.

Hojlund, Mainoo and Garnacho will go head-to-head for awards

Rasmus Hojlund, Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho are Manchester United’s Band of Brothers.

But the Old Trafford trio could be up against each other as nomination rivals for the PFA Young Player of the Year Award as well as the big prize at Manchester United’s own end of season awards.

All three have excelled in their debut season as regulars at United – and are vying for big personal awards.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the last United player to win the PFA Young player accolade in 2007, as well as winning the senior PFA award the same season.

All statistics courtesy of WhoScored.