Marcus Rashford has fired warning to his Manchester United team-mates that they need to tighten up defensively after Saturday’s comeback victory against West Ham.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team were fortunate to be trailing by just a goal at the break after West Ham dominated the first half.
The United boss reacted at the interval by hauling off Cavani and Van de Beek, introducing Rashford and Fernandes who had been rested ahead of next week’s key Champions League group stage game against RB Leipzig.
Solskjaer’s changes had good impact with goals from Pogba, Greenwood and Rashford turning the game on its head and helping the Red devils secure a ninth consecutive Premier League victory away from home.
The club also overturned deficits in recent wins over Everton, Newcastle, Brighton and Southampton, but Rashford says they will be punished eventually if they keep going behind in matches.
‘We need to stop doing that,’ he told Sky Sports after the game. ‘If we keep more clean sheets we’ll definitely win more games. It’s good that we showed spirit to come back when we concede a goal but ideally we don’t want to be conceding.
‘We defended quite well. They have dangerous players on the counter-attacks. We managed to get through it. Once you get to half-time it is a chance to regroup and we came out refocused.
- Frank Lampard provides Hakim Ziyech injury update after Leeds victory
- Michael Owen names four teams that can win the Premier League this season
‘Sometimes it is not about what the manager says but what we can see on the pitch. We didn’t get around them enough. Nothing threatening to the backline. The team knew what we had to do.
‘It is a big game (in the Champions League next week). After you lose like we did in the Champions League (to PSG) it is important to win the next game.
‘It is something the game has missed (fans being back in stadiums). It is what makes it special. It is a great feeling to have fans back.’
