Roy Keane on Marcus Rashford: Penny has dropped with Man Utd’s ‘lean, fighting machine’ | Football News

Marcus Rashford looks like a “lean fighting machine” according to Roy Keane, who praised the forward for taking charge after his 10th goal in 10 games.

Manchester United took total control of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest with a 3-0 first leg win at the City Ground, Rashford opening the scoring with a fine solo run that spoke volumes for the England forward’s current confidence.

Keane said: “We are pitchside when the player comes out and he looks slim. You don’t want to fight him – all the best.

“He looks like a sleek fighting machine.

“Sometimes it’s about confidence – that’s where he’s at the top now. He’s played a lot of games for United and big games for England in the last few years.

“Sometimes the money comes down to the players in terms of making decisions and putting the ball in the back of the net. And they need him.

“The question mark I’ve had about Marcus over the last couple of years is, does he have that personality to step up to the plate?

“United have had some great strikers over the years, and I think they need someone like that. Marcus has to say that he wants the responsibility to be the main man. The best players appear every week. It seems like now. He likes responsibility, which good to see.”

When asked if Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the club helped Rashford’s confidence, Keane replied: “When a player leaves a club, the responsibility goes to another player.

“He’s 25, he’s not a kid, sometimes when the time is right, you can be ready. He doesn’t have any more pain with his groin, he seems to have cleared it up. He seems to be in a good place mentally, very, very big. He said that he thinks a lot of football – and being the best football player is quite difficult.

“So putting other things on the back burner and focusing on being the best player for Manchester United has seen him get his priorities right.”

Michael Dawson added to Sky Sports: “The best position is on the left, but since Erik ten Hag came in, they have decided to bring him back to his best level.

“He was disappointing last year and struggled with form. What I see now is a completely different player, fearless and confident. He doesn’t play safe and goes straight with the ball at his feet.

“When he’s gone, he has an aura that doesn’t seem to bother him.”

Ten Hag: In this mood, Rashford is unstoppable

Rashford’s return to form this season has coincided with the appointment of Erik ten Hag, who managed to lead United to their first trophy for five seasons in his first year in the job.

When asked if there was anyone in the country who played better than Rashford, Ten Hag said: “The other players played well but I like Marcus. His performance and development since the beginning of the season has increased and he continues to do so. He should, and, of course, who is responsible for that too, so that the process is going.

“In this mood and spirit, I think he is unstoppable. Then it’s about the team getting the right position.

“But we have a plan, but it’s also about the intuition and creativity of individuals like Rashford to create chances.

“When you have players like Rashford, like Bruno, like Antony, like [Anthony] Martial, and like Christian Eriksen, don’t forget him, [who can] be creative in the last third and do something unexpected, some crazy stuff, also give the team fantasy and adventure.

Ten Hag also allayed concerns about Rashford’s 57th-minute withdrawal.

The United boss said Sky Sports: “We had a lot of games, Marcus played the game, did his job, scored another goal, we won, in a good position and Garnacho is really hungry to play games, play minutes and also get into the team.

“Yes, we have to play one (more) game. We have to do the same, prepare and make a good plan. The players have to focus.”