Erik ten Hag was full of praise for Marcus Rashford after his two goals helped Manchester United to cruise past Barnsley and into the Carabao Cup fourth round.
Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Christian Eriksen all scored twice with Antony also netting a penalty in a resounding 7-0 win over League One opposition at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
And Ten Hag was pleased with Rashford after his performance leading the line for ruthless United as he made it three goals in two games after scoring his first of the season in Saturday’s comfortable 3-0 victory at newly-promoted Southampton in the Premier League.
The 26-year-old previously had not scored since March after enduring a very difficult 2023/24 campaign in which he found the net only eight times across all competitions, a huge regression from his 30-goal campaign the season before.
“In my first season he had a vibe, a good mood and was calm, composed and I was confident he would score,” Ten Hag told Sky Sports.
“I think last season for everyone was difficult but we ended up with a trophy and you can’t forget it, but by the end we hit our targets and this is what we aim for this season.
“We want to progress and go forward, just like Marcus Rashford and the whole team was really hungry.”
Ten Hag was pleased with his side’s shape and defensive prowess against Barnsley in what was his biggest victory to date as United manager and the club’s largest ever in the League Cup.
“Most important is that we defend well as a team and have the right aggressive attitude,” he added.
“First of all it was a difficult start, but once we found our shape - not strange as this was the first time this team played together - we scored some great goals.
“It was a brilliant goal from Rashford with lots of speed, he is ruthless in front of goal.
“The key was the shape and the right attitude, 100 per cent concentration we played well, it was enjoyable to watch and we played well in defence.”
