Sir Alex Ferguson pushing for 49-year-old to be appointed at Manchester United - Reports

Manchester United's legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson has reportedly been pushing for the club to appoint Dougie Freedman as their next head of recruitment.

According to Football Insider, Ferguson happens to be a big fan of Freedman, who is currently Crystal Palace's sporting director. Both men were neighbors once, and it seems that Freedman made a good impression on Ferguson.

The report claims that the Red Devils have already made contact regarding Freedman's appointment. With the Eagles, Freedman has been successful in attracting players like Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze, and Michael Olise, who have impressed in the Premier League.

With Manchester United undergoing significant internal restructuring, a squad overhaul may be underway in the summer and his expertise could be crucial.

The Red Devils have already appointed former Manchester City chief executive Omar Berrada as their new CEO. They also look set to sign Dan Ashworth from Newcastle United to be their new sporting director.

Manchester United and Newcastle United are reportedly negotiating a compensation fee to end Ashworth's gardening leave so his appointment can be finalized.

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Wayne Rooney wanted Marcus Rashford to take both penalties in Manchester United's 2-0 win over Everton

Thanks to two penalty goals in the first half, Manchester United defeated Everton 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday, March 9. Famed for his penalty-taking ability, Bruno Fernandes scored the first one (12') after Alejandro Garnacho was fouled by James Tarkowski.

Garnacho won another penalty late in the first half as he was fouled by Ben Godfrey. Marcus Rashford stepped up this time around, and the Englishman also got on the scoresheet (36').

Red Devils legend Wayne Rooney stated that he wanted to see Rashford take responsibility with the first penalty, telling TNT Sports (via Mirror):

“I think for me, I would’ve liked to have seen him stamp his authority down, tell Bruno Fernandes that he wants that first penalty. I know he takes the second one but I want to see him take that responsibility."

Marcus Rashford has had a disappointing 2023-24 season and Rooney stated that he just wants to see the Englishman scoring goals again. He added:

“As a goalscorer, you want every opportunity you can get your hands on to score goals. He did well, he’s a great penalty taker and Marcus should be saying to him he wants it. I know he’s the captain and you probably want to have that one penalty taker you can rely on but I just want to see Marcus score goals, maybe I’m a bit biased!”