HAPPY RASH
Marcus gives Jurgen the bum’s rush
Marcus Rashford would have dreamed about days like this as a kid wrapped up in his Cristiano Ronaldo duvet.
And at Old Trafford yesterday the wonder boy got to live the dream.
Rashford’s f irst- hal f double ensured that the bragging rights belonged to the reds of Manchester.
In f ront of watching Eng land boss Gareth Southgate, his first Premier League start of 2018 could not have gone any better.
When Jose Mourinho is your manager there’s usually a reality check.
And when Liverpool reduced the deficit with 24 minutes left, the United boss let his pragmatism get the bet ter of him by deciding Rashford should make way
for the more muscular Marouane Fellaini. Some United fans booed – before breaking into a standing ovation for one of their own.
But Mourinho suggested they should blame former skipper Gary Neville for his half-time comments on Sky.
“The fans can do what they want. I am not upset at all with that reaction,” said Mourinho, who explained the change was made because Rashford had been booked for a first-half lunge at James Milner.
“At half-time someone told me Gary Neville was asking for Rashford to get a red card and I was scared the referee was watching.
“So when Marcus was defending, I remembered the pressure of Gary and made the decision to bring on a player who could get a yellow card.
“Marcus scored two goals in a big match against a top-class opponent. But if he hadn’t scored then people would have questioned me.
“He didn’t need to impress Gareth Southgate. He trusts him and the kid goes to the World Cup.”
It took Rashford 14 minutes to make his mark, timing his run to stay onside to perfection when Romelu Lukaku flicked on David de Gea’s goal-kick.
Trent Alexander-Arnold thought he had Rashford covered but United’s No.19 produced a Cruyff-like turn to work a yard of space inside before burying a fine finish past Loris Karius.
Virgil van Dijk should have equalised in 23 minutes but the former Celtic stopper headed James Mi lner’s corner on to his shoulder and wide from four yards.
It was a costly miss as just 60 seconds later Rashford scored again.
Another de Gea goal-kick saw Lukaku hold off Dejan Lovren and Emre Can before freeing Juan Mata through the middle.
Van Dijk managed to nick the ball away from the Spaniard but it fell for Rashford and this time his shot beat Karius with the help of a slight deflection.
Then came the Liverpool riposte. Van Dijk looped a header just over then ref Craig Pawson turned a blind eye when Andy Robertson’s cross st ruck Antonio Valencia on the arm.
United nerves started to fray when Sadio Mane outpaced Scott McTominay to whip in a cross that saw Eric Bailly get himself in a tangle before diverting the ball past his own keeper.
Rashford was replaced by Fellaini – and Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp complained when the Belgian tangled with Mane in the box and sent him tumbling. “It was a clear foul by Fellaini,” insisted Klopp. “If Fellaini doesn’t foul Sadio then Sadio scores – or he has a shot. In these games you must get the decisions right.” Liverpool now trail second-placed United by f ive points and Klopp added: “We caused problems but it is a results game and they have the result.”