“Disgusting favoritism” – Man Utd fans fume at Erik ten Hag’s pre-Man City comment

Manchester United fans have provided a negative reaction to Erik ten Hag’s backing of Marcus Rashford ahead of the Manchester derby on Sunday.

Manchester United will host Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon as they bid to continue their recent string of wins, facing one of the best sides in European football.

Coming off a season that saw them equal Sir Alex Ferguson‘s brilliant 1999 treble achievement, Pep Guardiola’s side sit second in the Premier League table, five points behind Tottenham Hotspur – albeit it with a game in hand.

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The fixture is crucial for both clubs, with Erik ten Hag‘s side winning three matches in a row for the first time this season prior to kick-off and in dire need to points in order to climb the table after their disastrous start.

One player who has suffered as a result of the squad’s poor form is Marcus Rashford, who has scored just one Premier League goal this season, with the winger a shadow of the player he was last campaign.

Despite this form, Erik ten Hag proclaimed that he still backs Rashford to return to his best self.

“Give him the trust and play him every game, most of the games he finishes every game, so I have a strong belief he will return to scoring a lot of goals,” he said on Friday afternoon in his pre-Man City press conference.

This comment, however, has not gone down well with a lot of Manchester United fans, with some feeling that Rashford should be dropped due to his poor form like Ten Hag does with other players, and that the Dutch manager is playing favourites.

Others, however, showed more faith in the manager’s choice, citing examples of where sticking with players through bad form has benefited the team.

It is almost certain that Marcus Rashford will start on Sunday, and he will be hoping to add to the four goals he has already collected against the noisy neighbours.