Man United Are Right In Wanting To Deal In Marcus Rashford
According to many sources, Manchester United want to offer young forward Marcus Rashford a new long term deal to stay at Old Trafford once he returns after the World Cup.
He has fabulous potential, possesses tremendous work-rate and can change big games.
People query whether the English international should stay if he’s just being used as a bit part player at United under manager Jose Mourinho.
I’m not sure that’s entirely true as he’s still only twenty years old and yet made over a hundred appearances for such a big club. In 123 outings, Rashford has banged in thirty-two goals. He managed seventeen starts in the Premier League and that’s more than his previous two seasons with the Red Devils. In total, Marcus played in over fifty games for United last term.
That form has seen him receive international recognition and in Russia he’ll represent England at his second major tournament. He’s won nineteen caps and scored three times for his country.
Yes he’s maybe not having the same impact he originally did when he broke onto the scene but he’s not that unknown force anymore. Playing in forward areas, especially when he’s asked to play out wide, usually sees inconsistent performances from youngsters.
Yet he’s still able to produce match winning performances like he did against Liverpool last season. It’s performances like that that will have United’s hierarchy so intent in getting him to sign a new deal.
Plus to be fair, Marcus Rashford is very much a Jose Mourinho type player. Once he iron’s out that wee bit of inconsistency, I feel he’ll start more and more games.
He’s a versatile forward and works really hard when chasing a ball down, tracking back or with the ball at his feet. He has an eye for a pass, he contributed with six assists in the last twelve months, and he is also dangerous from set-plays.
Jose heaped praise on his attacker earlier in the year:
“At his age, what he’s doing is more than enough and the experience he’s getting at every level is more than enough for us to be happy with what we think is going to be his future. It’s as simple as that. But because he had such an impact at the beginning, probably people expect him to play even more than he does, and score even more than he does and perform even more than what he does but it is not so simple.
“What I see makes me really happy, to see the same boy. Marcus is a fantastic boy, very grounded. For sure, we love him and we believe in him, and he’s going to have the chances.”
While I don’t agree that Rashford has stagnated or not given enough opportunities under Mourinho, I do think that more will need to be done in the next year. That’s how progression works.
If Marcus signs a new contract with Man United, then I think Jose Mourinho needs to assure the player that he’ll get more first team games (as long as he plays well) and will get chances to play through the middle too.
Posted on June 12th, 2018 by scott
Filed under: Article
I am in general agreement with you and would add a few observations.
1) Those suggesting Rashford should leave tend to be pundits with an axe to grind against United (eg Martin Keown, Jamie Redknapp, Tony Cascarino, Perry Groves) who suffered at the hands of United as players and love nothing better than sticking the knife into United.
2) The reason he is not having the impact he did is he’s playing in a much better team. He doesn’t stand out so starkly. People forget that in the season he arrived on the scene United’s attack managed its 6th worse goals scored tally in the league of the last 100 years. Just 49 goals was a terrible season. As it goes this season has seen him score his highest goal tally yet but it has been overshadowed by others
3) People also forget that Rashford is only 20. Harry Kane had played one game for Spurs at his age and Paul Scholes had yet to feature for United. As such he is still learning his trade and will be doing so for the next 3 or 4 years
4) All that said there are signs that Rashford is being led astray by external influences and runs the risk of getting his head turned. For example all the evidence (against Holland and Chelsea) suggests he is not an orthodox centre forward but this often seems to be the propaganda peddled by those who would undermine him. United have to make sure he keeps his focus. Similarly the freedom he felt against Costa Rica was because they played particularly badly not because of some genius move by Southgate (who is by no means a genius).
Rashford is probably the finest attacking talent to come out of the United Academy since Georgie Best was discovered (excepting Ronaldo and Rooney who were record transfers for their age). As such Rashford is already a United Icon standing for everything that United is. He is the United dream and as such he is probably the least expendable member of the United squad including the indispensible David De Gea even if he is not yet the complete package.
As such he cannot be allowed to leave United whilst that iconic status remains. The PR consequences alone would be dire.
Now, in some years time, in the unlikely circumstance that he failed to fulfil his potential then perhaps he would go but whilst he is scoring goals as those he scored against Liverpool then no way can United’s board contemplate losing his services. Its simply unthinkable so its not ‘if’ he signs a new contract but when he signs it and what price United have to pay to ensure he does?
They would no longer be the same Manchester United if they lost him.