Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continued with his comparison of Marcus Rashford to United legend Cristiano Ronaldo after the former scored a Ronaldo-esque header against Newcastle United at the Old Trafford on Thursday.
“He is a physical specimen. He’s looking after himself, working hard in the gym. When you’ve got that spring, it’s just about having the courage and getting up there,” Solskjaer was quoted as saying in the post-match conference by Goal.com.
“I remember a boy I used to play with that used to head it quite well when he was close to the goal. And we compare them quite often. So, that’s another string to his bow Marcus that Cristiano used to get when he was getting to that age as well,” he added.
Rashford scored his 11th goal of this season’s Premier League, his highest ever in the campaign, in a match which saw Anthony Martial scoring a brace and Mason Greenwood smashing a long-ranger to help United beat Newcastle 4-1.
The beginning of the match, though, was not what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had asked from his apprentices especially after their embarrassing 2-0 defeat at the hands of lowly Watford last week. Matty Longstaff gave Newcastle United an unexpected lead in the 17th minute.
The hosts, though, displayed much more positive intent than their last outing and equalised within seven minutes when Martial curled in a pass from Ander Pereira into the near post.
Greenwood then gave them the lead as a miscommunication from Newcastle players saw the Manchester United youth product unleash a stunner from outside the box in the 36th minute.
United’s top scorer this season, Rashford extended the margin to 3-1 when he headed in a perfect inswinging cross from right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka at the back post four minutes before the first half.
The final nail in the visitors’ coffin was put by Martial when another sloppy defensive play from Newcastle gave the Frenchman acres of space with only Martin Duubravka to beat under the woods. The 24-year-old lifted the ball beyond the goalie’s reach into the nets to complete his brace.