It's crazy: Erik Ten Hag unhappy with pundits over Marcus Rashford speculations

Premier League: Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag hit out at pundits for unwarranted speculation about his relationship with Marcus Rushford after the star forward was benched for their 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

In Short

• Manchester United were held to a 0-0 draw on Saturday at Selhurst Park
• Marcus Rashford was not picked in the starting XI for Saturday's match
• Erik Ten Hag rubbished rumours of rift betwen him and Rashford

Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag expressed his disappointment over speculation of a strained relationship between him and Marcus Rashford after the star forward was benched in their goalless draw at Crystal Palace in their Premier League match on Saturday, September 21. Despite Rashford's impressive form, having scored three goals in the last two matches, he was surprisingly left on the bench at Selhurst Park.

Ten Hag's choice to omit Rashford from the starting lineup raised eyebrows among fans, pundits, and the media. The Manchester United boss addressed the speculation head-on, criticising pundits for their interpretations. He argued that the constant scrutiny and speculation can be misleading and do not always reflect the full context of the team's decisions.

"I heard already speculation from pundits. It's crazy, as a person you are not okay when you bring such speculation when you don't know. It was just rotation. I am very happy with Marcus in everything he is doing," he said.

Rashford was eventually introduced into the game as a substitute after 61 minutes, but the match remained goalless. This outcome only added to the debate, with some arguing that Rashford's presence earlier in the game could have made a difference in securing a win for Manchester United. Alejandro Garnacho, who replaced Rashiford in the starting XI, failed to convert two clear-cut opportunities as United were frustrated by Palace.

Rashford had scored his first goal since March in United's 3-0 win over Southampton last week. He rode on the momentum and scored twice in their 7-0 decimation of Barnsley in the EFL Cup on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Ten Hag expressed his disappointment with the draw, but lauded Andre Onana for the clean sheet away from home. Onana made two crucial saves in the second half of the contest.

"Unbelievable save, Andre is so explosive, he is such a great stopper. It's twice in one action," he said.

"We all see now how good he is. His reactions are so good, he's so quick and we saw that with the save in the second half."

Manchester United are reeling at the 11th spot in the league table, having won two and lost as many in five matches so far. United will next face FC Twente in an Europa League match on Tuesday.