RASH READY TO BE MAIN MAN
There’s no stopping teenage sensation says pal Lingard
MARCUS RASHFORD is thriving on the responsibility of becoming Manchester United’s main man.
Team-mate Jesse Lingard says the 19-year-old is relishing the pressure and believes his fellow academy graduate is improving with every game.
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic injured, Wayne Rooney no longer first choice and Anthony Martial inconsistent, Rashford has become Jose Mourinho’s first-choice centre-forward.
After struggling for goals midseason, Rashford has bounced back with four in his last eight appearances. His goals include key strikes against Chelsea, Anderlecht and the free-kick winner against Celta Vigo in the Europa League semifinal first leg on Thursday.
“He can handle the pressure,” said Lingard.
Knowledge
“He’s been about long enough now to handle the pressure. He’s scored major goals for United and again he got the important goal in Vigo. “He’s still going to improve. He’s going to fill out even more. “His knowledge of the game, his game intelligence, will continue to grow and he’ll keep learning and go from there.” Rashford’s 11th goal of the season came four days after he came under fire for taking a dive to earn United a controversial penalty against Swansea. Lingard said it was the perfect response and showed Rashford is developing a thick skin. “It’s part and parcel of football,” added the England midfielder.
“He’s going to learn that people are always going to have an opinion. You’ve just got to focus on the next game and he’s bounced back with that goal.”
It was Rashford’s first goal direct from a free-kick and Lingard says it came as a result of long hours on the training ground.
“I’ve seen him take free-kicks like that in training,” he said.
“Practice makes perfect and he’s worked on that.
“Obviously he’s seen the keeper move to the left and he’s created that space for himself, to find the corner.
“Of late he’s been put on set-pieces and his corner delivery and free-kicks have been excellent.”
Rashford is likely to be rested at Arsenal tomorrow with Thursday’s second leg at Old Trafford in mind. And Ander Herrera has warned United they are not home and dry.
He said: “We are playing a lot of games and we are playing to get to a European final and, for us, that is fundamental.
“We controlled the match against a Celta side that always creates, that is always offensive and is easy on the eye.
Calm
“It’s not easy to keep a clean sheet against Celta. To get to the final we have to play just as well at Old Trafford in the second leg because they always score away. “The percentage chance of us making the final is the same as it was before the first game. Until the referee blows the final whistle in the second leg I won’t be calm because Celta always score away.”