“I feel sorry for him, he takes a lot of hammering” - Peter Crouch on Manchester United star despite Red Devils’ 3-0 win over Southampton

Premier League great Peter Crouch has expressed his understanding of the plight of Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford after he scored in the win over Southampton. The England international opened his account with the Red Devils for the 2024-25 season as his side claimed a convincing 3-0 win on Saturday (September 14).

Rashford came under fire in the 2023-24 season after managing only eight goals across all competitions despite getting a bumper pay rise. The forward missed out on a place in the England squad for Euro 2024 due to his poor form and struggled at the start of the campaign.

Peter Crouch has defended the Manchester United man on TNT Sports after seeing him inspire his side to a win at St. Mary's Stadium. He praised the forward for showing great desire and hunger in the game and acknowledged that he faces a lot of criticism, sometimes unfairly.

"He’s not there yet, it’s one game obviously Southampton have been struggling but I thought there was a lot of positives. He takes a lot of hammering Rashford and I feel sorry for him at times because people expect so much and he does have so much talent you know it’s in there.

"There was a certain hunger to him today and I look at the pace and how dynamic his running was today and obviously the goal will do him the world of good. I definitely thought he was a lot sharper than he has been in previous weeks."

Marcus Rashford ended his 12-game goal drought across all competitions with his fine strike against the Saints. The 26-year-old scored his side's second of the afternoon as they won at St. Mary's.

Ignored by the England manager Gareth Southgate, Rashford spent the international break working hard on his fitness. His work paid off, as was seen in his performance against Southampton, and he will be keen to build on it.

Manchester United snap losing run, claim vital win

Manchester United defeated newly promoted Southampton by three unreplied goals to ease the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag. It was just their second victory of the season and their first win in three attempts, having lost their last two games.

Andre Onana was called into action shortly after the half-hour mark as he denied Cameron Archer from the penalty spot. Moments later, the Red Devils had the ball in the net at the other end, Matthijs De Ligt heading home a precise cross from Bruno Fernandes.

Rashford scored his side's second of the game in the 41st minute, finishing off a pass from Amad Diallo for his first of the season. The Saints were reduced to 10 men in the 79th minute when Jack Stephens received a straight red card for a reckless tackle. Alejandro Garnacho came off the bench to round off the scoring in the 96th minute, sealing the 3-0 win for Manchester United.