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Marcus Rashford’s future at Manchester United appeared to be in doubt when he was spotted in a Belfast nightclub and skipped training the following day, yet United boss Erik ten Hag handled the crisis perfectly.
That’s the verdict of former United captain Steve Bruce, who believes Ten Hag executed a perfect plan as he held showdown talks with the player and his agent, got the answers he demanded and then announced to the world’s media that the matter was closed.
Rashford responded by scoring in his first game back for United at Wolves last week, with Ten Hag following a different path in dealing with Rashford’s indiscretions than with the exiled Jadon Sancho after his series of disciplinary issues.
Speaking exclusively to Football365, Bruce suggested the pressure is now on Rashford to snatch the second chance handed to him by Ten Hag in what is left of this season.
“I thought the manager handled the Rashford situation very well,” said Bruce. “He put him back in the team and all of a sudden, the onus was on the player to perform and make amends for what happened. There were no more questions for the manager to answer.
“In the last couple of games, we have seen Marcus coming to the fore and playing better, which has justified how the manager handled it.
“Everyone can lose form and confidence. You have to dust yourself down and get ready to go again.
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“He had a lot of making up to do after he let people down in the way he did, but he has started that process,” he said, speaking on behalf of BoyleSports, who offer the latest Premier League betting.
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The Rashford story highlighted the challenges faced by managers in the modern game, with the football landscape changing dramatically since Bruce was a player in the 1980s and 90s and throughout a long management career that included spells in charge at Sunderland, Aston Villa and Newcastle.
“Society has changed from 25 years ago,” added Bruce. “The way young players are brought through the Academy system is very different from when I started as a player and then as a manager.
“The challenge now is how to handle these young players who have shot to fame and are almost like pop stars used to be when I was a kid. They are box office talent and you have to work around that. It makes it a more difficult job, of course it is.
“That said, you still have to have a certain discipline about you, you need rules and the players have to adhere to them and have respect for their teammates and management style.
“Man-management has become a huge part of the job now and that was always the case. It’s just changed in the managers deal with players now.
“The great strength of Sir Alex Ferguson during my time with him at Manchester United was his man-management skills were unbelievably good, as well as everything else he had.
“Despite the obvious challenges, we all want to be part of it and I’m desperate to have another go at management.
“I look at Neil Warnock going into the job at Aberdeen this week and he still has the enthusiasm and the passion for it. That never leaves you.
“To succeed as a manager you need to be talented, you need some luck and you need to have the right players. Get all that right and you have a chance, but it’s not easy. There is pressure you have to deal with, but that is the case with every job.”
SourceFootball365