Man Utd ace slammed for ‘unforgivable’ mistake and trying to be ‘too clever’ as Ten Hag replacement plan hots up

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has been criticised for his big miss against Newcastle on Sunday, amid Erik ten Hag reportedly looking to replace him with a Premier League bagsman.

Rashford began the clash with Newcastle on the bench as Ten Hag opted to go with Cristiano Ronaldo up front. The Portuguese twice had the ball in the back of the Newcastle net in the second half, though both goals were ruled out by the referee.

Ronaldo looked frustrated when he was he was being taken off in the 72nd minute, as Ten Hag decided to change things up and give Rashford a chance.

He had his big opportunity in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Casemiro put a great cross into the box and Rashford rose above his marker to meet it with his head.

The goal appeared to be gaping for the 24-year-old but he only managed to send the ball just wide of the post.

It was the last chance of the match and Manchester United had to settle for a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford. The result leaves them fifth in the Premier League table, three points off the top four and 11 behind leaders Arsenal.

In contrast, it was an impressive result for Newcastle. They are unbeaten in five league outings and occupy the place just behind Man Utd.

talkSPORT transfer insider Alex Crook has been discussing Rashford’s miss while appearing on their Gameday podcast. He has criticised Rashford for his ‘unforgivable’ miss and thinks the England international was guilty of trying to be ‘too clever’.

Man Utd player guilty of ‘unforgivable’ error

“The second one is more unforgivable,” Crook said (via This Is Futbol). “That’s a free header right in front of goal.

“I think he was trying to be too clever, too precise. Just get it on target, and you’re very unlucky if you don’t score from there.”

This Is Futbol also carry some stats on Rashford’s wider performance. They cite SofaScore, who reveal Rashford lost two duels, gave away possession five times and only had a 71% passing accuracy.

Clearly, it wasn’t just Rashford’s miss that Ten Hag will be angry about. He will also have complaints on the academy graduate’s link-up play.

Crook’s verdict comes amid Man Utd pursuing a new striker to replace the likes of Rashford and Ronaldo.

Marcus Rashford could be replaced by compatriot

Their top target right now appears to be Brentford ace Ivan Toney. He is enjoying a purple patch at the moment and is already on eight goals from 11 games this season.

Fabrizio Romano believes Toney would cost Man Utd between £40-45m. This makes him cheaper than some of their other attacking targets, including Joao Felix.

As per the Daily Mirror, Brentford are taking steps to keep Toney in west London. They are preparing to offer him a new contract which includes a pay rise.

Having said that, the new deal is likely to include a release clause. This will tell Man Utd exactly how much they need to pay to take the in-form star to Manchester.

Meanwhile, there has recently been an update on Felix and how the star feels about leaving Atletico Madrid next year.