Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
When Marcus Rashford returned to Manchester United for this season, there was excitement after he had a great season for Barcelona. But already things are turning sour.
Manchester United would have thought Barcelona would pay the £26m for Marcus Rashford in the summer, given how undervalued this deal was. But they didn’t, leading to his return to United under Michael Carrick, looking to put the past in the past and redefine his relationship with the fans.
It was a good start; Manchester United fans loved Rashford’s work rate and effort levels, which were a legacy of having developed under Hansi Flick for a season at Barcelona. However, that has quickly dissipated, leading to his poor showing against Fulham.
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Marcus Rashford’s performance vs Fulham had a familiar problem
Yet to score or assist, Rashford isn’t getting the acknowledgement for his performances. But what he was doing well came to a brutal end against Fulham.
Rashford was at his worst against Fulham with a performance that raises doubts over Michael Carrick’s persistence in playing him. Put simply, Rashford looked like a player who didn’t want to be there against Fulham.
Despite positive numbers, Rashford missed some clear-cut chances, which showcased how his finishing really hasn’t improved since he was a youngster. But the big problem was his effort levels.
While everyone was guilty of walking out of possession, Rashford was also incredibly slow getting forward to join attacks, which is a matter of history repeating itself.
This isn’t the first time that Rashford has looked unhappy to be playing for United and not enjoying his football. It is like a flashback to 2023 when Rashford was awful against Newcastle, with supporters unhappy with his effort and attitude.
Against Fulham, history repeated itself, and it was a performance that he can never repeat if the plan is to continue his career at Old Trafford.
He was taken off due to injury against Fulham, leading to Rashford dropping out of the England squad. With a chronic hip condition plaguing him since the World Cup, this may explain his drop in performance.
So hopefully, he rests in the next three weeks and comes back with more urgency, aggression, and effort against the Spurs after the break.
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Wayne Rooney signals Rashford problem at Manchester United
Often a big supporter of Rashford, Wayne Rooney also noticed the lack of interest that the forward had against Fulham. Speaking on the Stick to United podcast, Rooney raised that red flag.
“I have no idea what these players are thinking because they look like they’re in a daze. Looks like they’ve just been concussed.
It’s weird, and you want to see someone get angry, someone be aggressive… Bruno tries, and with Bruno, sometimes it looks like it doesn’t look great because he’s throwing his arms up, and every time he gets kicked, he’s moaning at the opposition.
“But at least he’s trying something where a lot of players, like there was a period yesterday where before Rashford went off, the camera goes on him, and he’s looking over to the bench, and it’s like, do you want to go off?
“Do you want to go off the pitch here? So it’s… I just want to see like… That it means something to you, playing for Man United.”