Erik ten Hag praised the work of Manchester United coach Benni McCarthy over the weekend.
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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag heaped praise on Benni McCarthy this weekend for the work he has been doing with the squad’s forwards, showcasing why the coach was given the seal of approval by Cristiano Ronaldo. The ex-Blackburn Rovers star has been central to the revival of Marcus Rashford’s career, in turn playing a key role in the Red Devils’ successes this season.
Ronaldo left United earlier this season after a public falling out with Ten Hag before the World Cup, with the Portuguese international telling Piers Morgan that he had ‘no respect’ for his then-boss and that he felt he was being scapegoated by the club.
United wasted no time in parting ways with their No 7 as a result and allowed him to leave, as he had wished to do over the summer. Though Ronaldo wasn’t unhappy for his entire time this campaign, it was revealed that he was fond of the coaching of McCarthy, who joined the club shortly after Ten Hag.
According to the Daily Mail, the South African hit the ground running at Carrington training ground by holding extra training that was centred around shooting practice, upon the request of Bruno Fernandes. Ronaldo regularly attended those sessions and enjoyed the work, prompting a variety of players to work with McCarthy and take onboard his methods.
Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed working with Benni McCarthy (Image: Getty)
Thus, it comes as no surprise that Rashford has majorly benefitted from the wealth of experience that the 45-year-old has been able to provide given that it was approved of by a five-time Ballon d’Or winner. Rashford was on the cusp of being deemed surplus to requirements by United over the summer after enduring several underwhelming campaigns, but Ten Hag and McCarthy have collectively reignited the fire in the forward, and he now looks better than ever.
The England international has scored 14 and assisted three in 26 Premier League appearances so far this season, spearheading his side’s push to win the treble – with speculative talk of a quadruple now fading.
Erik ten Hag praised McCarthy (Image: Getty)
Ten Hag heaped the praise on his coaching staff over the weekend for how they have helped Rashford bounce back, particularly McCarthy. He explained “I think the most important of course is the way of play that gives him base and structure and the way of play is in his favour. I knew his skills.
“You also bring staff around who can make him better and make him progress and he can get motivated from. I thought we needed one of the staff who was specific for strikers and Benni is doing a good job. But don’t forget others in the staff because it is about teamwork. The staff is about balance. It is not only about Benni McCarthy.”
It remains to be seen whether McCarthy can continue to help Rashford thrive and if the ex-West Ham forward will be equally as influential when new arrivals are signed over the summer.
Source: express.co.uk
