Ole’s full of praise for star man Rash

OLE Gunnar Solskjaer has hailed the form of Marcus Rashford after he proved to be United’s match-winner again in midweek.

The 22-year-old stole the show for United on Wednesday night as they comfortably defeated Tottenham in the Premier League.

Rashford gave United the lead early in the game with a low strike at the near-post before adding a second shortly after half-time with a cool penalty kick.

The England international has been in impressive form for United this season and maintained his scoring threat despite being deployed on the left wing against Jose Mourinho’s side.

Speaking after the win, Solskjaer hailed Rashford’s influence on the firstteam and in particular the manner in which he imposed himself on the game.

“The boy’s 22 and today he played like he was in back yard or the garden or playground with mates,” Solskjaer told reporters.

“Sometimes maybe expectations and pressure are expected, but I want them to enjoy themselves by facing players, taking them on.

“You can define players by waiting for things to happen or making things happen. He made it by movement, decision-making, [being] positive.

“It is great to see – he can go inside, outside.

“He plays so many games, [you] can’t expect him to be running like this all the time but it’s natural sometimes he can have this level. Top, top performance.”

THE United dressing room could have guessed who Jose Mourinho would namecheck in the newly-refurbished Old Trafford press room.

“You see for example McTominay’s performance, the globality of his performance, he was dominant,” Mourinho said.

At full-time, McTominay sought out Mourinho on the pitch and they embraced. Every United player made a point of shaking Mourinho’s hand (with one exception), though the warmest exchange was between former manager and the inaugural manager’s player of the year.

That dubious award Mourinho bestowed upon McTominay in 2018 was mentioned at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s post-match debrief.

“He’s so professional, he’s not tainted by any superstar or fame.” Solskjaer has seldom echoed Mourinho though he evoked memories of Huddersfield away in the FA Cup fifth round.

“Honestly, I think Scott deserves more than what he is getting. I think maybe it’s because he [McTominay] is this kind of kid profile: a normal haircut, no tattoos, no big cars, no big watches, humble kid, arrive in the club when he was nine or 10.”

Paul Pogba was absent through illness that rainy February day, and Mourinho would prefer McTominay over Pogba in Seville four days later.

Pogba’s two-month absence through a hamstring injury effectively cost United the league that