Manchester United star Marcus Rashford has dismissed reports that the squad has turned against new manager Ralf Rangnick, while admitting he is not happy with how he has played in recent outings.
Despite suffering just one defeat in six matches since taking over from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Rangnick has come under fire amid claims he has already lost the Old Trafford dressing room.
Rashford, however, insists there are no truth to those rumours and that he is focused on improving his own game.
What was said?
"We've all been disappointed with recent performances and we've been as disappointed with the news coverage questioning our commitment to not only the manager and the coaching staff but the club," the England striker signalled in a statement published on Twitter on Saturday.
"I have endless respect for both and I'm looking forward to bettering my game under the staff... I'm not sulking, I'm not unhappy.
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"Am I disappointed in some recent performances? Of course I am. I'm my own biggest critic. It's been a tough start but I am determined to prove my worth. My dedication and my desire should never have been in question. I love this club."
The bigger picture
Rashford was one of the players singled out for criticism after a lacklustre display off the bench during United's 1-0 defeat to Wolves, which marked a poor start to 2022.
“Marcus Rashford comes off the bench and you are expecting him to go out there and really fly and give it some. And sometimes you see him losing the ball and the reaction to losing the ball isn’t what you want to see," ex-Red Devil Rio Ferdinand fired on Vibe With Five.
“That could be down to him not being happy not playing etc. But you’ve got to put that to one side.
“When you’re out of the team it’s about coming in and proving to the manager what you’re about and who you are. Maybe he feels he is not getting the opportunities he deserves. I don’t know.
“It’s hard to pinpoint one player – you can’t, all the players have to take responsibility from Cristiano [Ronaldo] at the top all the way down to all the other players.”
That defeat left United in seventh place in the Premier League, four points behind Arsenal in the final Champions League qualifying spot.
Their next test comes on Monday, when they welcome Aston Villa to Old Trafford in the FA Cup third round.
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