Spanish media have reached a clear Marcus Rashford verdict after Michael Carrick’s “bold” Manchester United decision regarding the forward emerged this week. The Red Devils outcast joined Barcelona on loan just six months ago, seeking a fresh start after multiple disagreements as now-departed manager Ruben Amorim forced him out of Old Trafford last summer.
The 27-year-old had spent his entire career at United until this year, growing up as a boyhood fan before joining the academy, becoming one of the club’s greatest-ever youth graduates, and going on to make 426 appearances, scoring 138 goals and providing 78 assists.
Attitude concerns and accusations of laziness became closely linked with United’s wilderness years and, under the previous management, there was little room for players who appeared uninterested in the task at hand. But while Rashford’s time at United once seemed done and dusted, the ball now appears to be in his court, and reviews of his performances in Spain make for encouraging reading.
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Spanish Press Cast Verdict on Marcus Rashford
flick rashford
Rashford has always been a player who is capable of the spectacular, but tends to miss the regular chances, which makes watching him an incredibly frustrating experience. But, at Barcelona, he is thriving with the amount of opportunities he's afforded, with his goal against Elche bringing his tally for the season to nine goals and 12 assists in 31 appearances.
There's a reason why Thomas Tuchel has had him in and out of the England squad since leaving United, and local press at his temporary home have had the opinion that there's a lot to love about the 28-year-old, even if he does have some flaws to him still. Mundo Deportivo summed up that experience perfectly after the 3-1 win over Elche, calling him an “opportunist” for coming on to score and taking his chance, but having some “unforgivable” misses in the process.
They wrote, “He missed an unforgivable goal in a one-on-one with Pena. He made amends, scoring the third goal with a clinical finish into an empty net. Peña then denied him a fourth goal.” Marca were absolutely "baffled" at the number of chances missed, saying that the team squandered "incredible chances", with Rashford among those guilty of the same.
AS described his performance as “Jekyll and Hyde”, as he showed he was capable of “brilliance” and “utter disaster” in the same game. His lack of pressing high up the pitch was also noted. SPORT went another step further, saying Rashford is an example of a player who proves why “expected goals” as a metric should be discarded, considering he misses the easiest chances and scores the difficult ones all the time.
El Periodico aptly summed up the game as Barcelona’s “carnival shooting gallery”, as they created so many chances and shots that ultimately, even their wastefulness could not hurt them in a 3-1 win.
Michael Carrick Open To Rashford's United Return
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick clapping
After overseeing victories over both Manchester City and Arsenal in his first two Premier League games as United’s interim manager until the end of the season, Carrick’s early results have made him the favourite to replace Amorim on a permanent basis in the summer.
Should he earn a contract to take the Old Trafford hot seat, he has already spoken about being open to Rashford’s return, which could give the forward a second wind at his boyhood club. Rashford’s opportunistic style could suit Carrick’s tactical approach, which was evident when both Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha scored from outside the box at the Emirates Stadium.
Under Carrick’s leadership, the Red Devils have been encouraged to play with more adventure, which could not be said of his predecessor’s more risk-averse and stubborn methods. Whether Rashford would want to reconcile after the issues he faced with the hierarchy before last summer, however, remains unclear.