Sam Allardyce risks Erik ten Hag's wrath with "behind the scenes" Man Utd theory

Sam Allardyce believes that "something’s happened behind the scenes" between Marcus Rashford and Erik ten Hag after the forward was benched last weekend.

The Red Devils’ forward had begun the season as one of Ten Hag’s first choice attackers. He started each of the club’s opening six games of the new campaign in all competitions.

But he surprisingly dropped to the bench for last weekend’s clash against Crystal Palace - a game that eventually ended in a goalless draw. Former Premier League boss Allardyce believes that there could be an ongoing issue between Rashford and Ten Hag away from the pitch.

Speaking on the , he said: "Speculatively, on recent activities by Marcus Rashford, you wonder whether it’s a discipline scenario again, and whether something’s happened behind the scenes.

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“Ten Hag is apparently extremely old school when it comes to discipline. You’ve got to turn up on time, no mobile phones, rightly so in my opinion. Over the years, I have relaxed on that situation, but I think in his world, that's the way he runs a football club.

"If you breach that then you’re going to have a discipline side to it. It’d have to be much bigger than that, but we know in the past he’s been caught on a night out when he shouldn’t be out. It just breeds up all this speculation again doesn’t it - the whole world blows up.

"Why is he not playing when he’s scored three goals in two games? Maybe it’s that, it can’t be a rest at this early in the season, and if Marcus Rashford is scoring, Man United need him on the pitch."

Allardyce’s comments are unlikely to go down well with Ten Hag. Former Tottenham star Jamie Redknapp and the Dutchman have been involved in a war of words ever since the latter suggested something similar.

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"It feels like something has gone untoward," Redknapp said. "I don't know the details. But you don't drop a player that has scored two in midweek and against Southampton.

"I'd be nervous to say he is back but he is showing signs of the Rashford from two years ago. It feels like something's happened maybe this week, I don't know the manager's frustration. It is unusual for a manager to out players for their lifestyle.

"Sir Alex Ferguson would have never done it, whereas Ten Hag has done it on a few occasions. It is not always beneficial to the players."

Ten Hag fired back in a press conference ahead of this week’s draw with FC Twente. He said: “That's crazy. I would almost say as a person you are not OK when you bring such speculation if you don't know what's up. This is just rotation.”

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