Marcus Rashford slams suggestions Manchester United ‘gave up’ against Liverpool
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has branded suggestions that the Red Devils ‘gave up’ against Liverpool on Sunday “nonsense”.
Erik ten Hag’s side were stunned at Anfield, suffering a 7-0 defeat, but the score was only 1-0 to the hosts at the interval, with Liverpool netting six times in the second period.
Man United’s capitulation has led to widespread criticism, but Rashford has firmly rejected claims that this team simply threw in the towel against Jurgen Klopp’s side.
“We didn’t give up, that is nonsense. We were unorganised and communication was bad. It comes down to the fact I believe everyone was trying to get back into the game that much, we came away from the principles in and out of possession,” the England international told reporters ahead of Thursday’s Europa League last-16 first leg with Real Betis at Old Trafford.
“I felt the forwards were trying to press, just the forward unit, and were disconnected from the midfield. We were talking but weren’t in agreement on what to do. The only thing we can do is learn from it and move on.
“Liverpool versus United is a unique game, it doesn’t matter about form, it’s a special game of football that is decided in 90 minutes on the pitch.
“Going in at half-time, it could have been a different game. I missed a chance to make it 1-0. They can take the game away from you and that’s what happened. It’s about resetting now.
“Losing against Liverpool is enough. The scoreline doesn’t matter when you lose a game against Liverpool or any other rivals, it cuts deep, it’s not nice, it’s never a nice feeling but for me, I always remember how many games we’ve won against them.
“It’s football and why everyone loves the game. It’s disappointing but we can’t dwell on it and look back. We’re in a position where we’re still fighting on all fronts and we have a lot of games still to play. We want to put it right.”
Bruno Fernandes has also faced criticism for his on-the-field conduct against Liverpool, with the Portugal international showing his frustration during the second period.
However, Rashford has insisted that he is “100% behind” the attacker, who is currently sporting the armband due to Harry Maguire’s struggles for regular action.
“I love playing with Bruno, as you can imagine. He’s the perfect player to play with. He’s been a good leader for us, even when he’s not captain, which is always a good sign,” added the 25-year-old.
“He’s helped other players become better leaders and the reality is that we can’t be an organised team in terms of just one leader being captain. He’s done a lot for us. I don’t have anything negative to say about Bruno. As the manager said, nobody is perfect. I support him and I’m 100% behind him.”
Man United, who overcame Barcelona in the last round of the Europa League, will follow Thursday’s game at home to Betis with a Premier League clash against Southampton on Sunday.
