It took one cross from the right flank of the pitch into the box and a header to get the ball rolling for Manchester United fans. And why shouldn’t they be excited by this visual? After all, their two wingers seem to warm up to each other. The recent past hasn’t been kind to them, but is the near future any different?
The Red Devils are currently in Bangkok tending to their pre-season formalities that include a massive game against the eternal rivals, Liverpool.
A video has surfaced from an open training session ahead of this game that has left every United faithful on the cusp of their seat.
It sees United’s two wingers, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, linking up to score a sublime goal. United’s new gaffer, Erik ten Hag, has deployed a 4-2-3-1 where Martial is the lone striker while Rashy and Sancho take up the left and right wings, respectively.
In this video, Sancho receives the ball on the right flank near the box and curls it into the box in the space which Rashford runs to and heads it in the back of the net. Even though the reaction from the players on the pitch was somewhat regular, the ones who witnessed from the stands and now on video couldn’t contain their excitement.
Rashford netting a header and Sancho playing on the right is unheard of, but this clip reveals the growing confidence of the player under Ten Hag.
This video is worthy for every United fan who would love to erase the memory of Sancho and Rashford enduring an underwhelming 2021/22 season by netting a mere total of seven goals together in the Premier League.
For these fans, it’s the reincarnation of Rashford and Sancho and with them the ultimate resurrection of United from its abyss. It’s an infinitesimal moment with a big impact and a subtle commentary on Ten Hag’s deployment of correct tactics by using his two most significant players right on the wings.
One kick has helped United fans to forget about the deteriorating saga of their talisman, Cristiano Ronaldo, whose return to the squad is still unconfirmed despite multiple assurances from Ten Hag.
The fans are calling for a top-four finish or even better, winning the league in the upcoming season but this is what it means to be a United fan these days. It’s a vicious cycle of pain, rejuvenation, and then gearing up to be hurt again. But the fans are confident that under Ten Hag this endless cycle will break and a promising side will emerge.
For now, United is chasing Frenkie de Jong and Christian Eriksen, but if Sancho and Rashford continue to link up consistently, there is little left to change for Ten Hag as far as his forward line is concerned.
