[Freak]

He’s not ready for a striker role. And he needs to improve. But he’s young so he’s got time to do so. Will prove to be a class player for us in years to come.

 

[ash_86]

Definitely no ready to lead the line for us. Not even sure if Striker is his correct position.

 

[MadDogg]

I've been saying it very early on, but he's not a lone striker. Probably best in a front 2, but as a lone man, he's just a poacher and doesn't really offer much. Was on for pretty much the entire 2nd half and just wasn't the situation for him to really do anything, just like he didn't really have an impact against Bournemouth. Just not suited to it. When we have both Martial and Rashford on, either play them together, or put Martial through the middle. He's much better at holding the ball up and the little link up that's needed as a lone striker. Or put Sanchez through the middle.

Yep. People complain about Lukaku's hold-up play, but he looks like Drogba compared to Rashford.

Neither Rashford nor Martial are able to win many aerial balls when they are played up front, but Martial can at least hold it up when it's played to him on the ground. Rashford doesn't give us that option, and it basically leaves us with just playing it in behind the defence and hoping he can run onto it. In saying that Martial is also better on the left, so I'm not sure which combo is better in situations like today. Maybe Sanchez in the centre and play Rashford on the right.

 

[bosnian_red]

Yep. People complain about Lukaku's hold-up play, but he looks like Drogba compared to Rashford.

Neither Rashford nor Martial are able to win many aerial balls when they are played up front, but Martial can at least hold it up when it's played to him on the ground. Rashford doesn't give us that option, and it basically leaves us with just playing it in behind the defence and hoping he can run onto it. In saying that Martial is also better on the left, so I'm not sure which combo is better in situations like today. Maybe Sanchez in the centre and play Rashford on the right.

Martial at least can also control it well on his chest with somebody on his back, and actually turn to face the goal and make something happen. Like you say, only hope with rashford is running in behind, which won't happen when we're the ones taking the initiative.

Also the last scenario could be our best hope. Rashford is capable of playing on the right, he's inconsistent but he can do it and offer natural width as well as he can shoot well from tight angles. Martial does his thing on the left, while Sanchez showed world class form for Arsenal playing as the lone striker. He's small, but he knows how to hold the ball up, use his body, run the channels, and is actually somewhat useful in the air. Obviously not for hoofs so Mourinho won't be a fan of that, but for crosses into the box he is very good at timing his runs and finding space (and actually heading the ball too). Or just a floating 4-3-1-2 system, having Sanchez as a free role behind Martial and Rashford as the 2 strikers, gives both license to play together up top or open up wide and drift out to the wings.

 

[Adam-Utd]

His technique has worryingly regressed, he looks a bit like Welbeck with the ball these days.

 

[Milkman007]

He doesn't seem to get on the ball enough when he plays up top, can't really hold on to it and bring others in to play and doesn't have good enough technique in tight spaces.

He needs to be running at people, and i would love for him to get more opportunities from the right, i feel he just needs minutes and get on the ball, which he won't do as a lone striker.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

Definitely no ready to lead the line for us. Not even sure if Striker is his correct position.

Bingo.

Been saying this for years, but for me, Rashford has never, ever looked like an out and out CF - and I don't say that as an insult to him. I think he's got the potential to be a really good PL player, but not as a CF.

He's a wide forward for me, and best used on the counter.

 

[ash_86]

Bingo.

Been saying this for years, but for me, Rashford has never, ever looked like an out and out CF - and I don't say that as an insult to him. I think he's got the potential to be a really good PL player, but not as a CF.

He's a wide forward for me, and best used on the counter.

Looks like it. Shame he plays on the left.

 

[Rake]

It`s been ages since he played as striker so people should not judge him too much. Would love it if he got a run of games until the end of the season.

 

[Kearnkoff69]

He's definitely a wide forward. If he's going to play striker, he has to learn to make wide arcing runs from inside to out and really work the channels so he's not receiving the ball in the middle with his back to goal and a burly CB on his back. Needs room to run at defenders who are backpedaling.

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

Dunno really, he isn't thriving on the bit part role, but doesn't have enough atm to be a guaranteed starter, reckon he'd thrive with the right loan move, but he's maybe too important to us to give it too him, tough one.

 

[MadDogg]

Looks like it. Shame he plays on the left.

Rashford, unlike Martial, has shown he's capable of playing just as well on the right. He is more inconsistent there though. Perhaps with further gametime there he could improve that consistency and make himself a real option on the right. Or perhaps not and he'll always be more suited to the left where unless something changes he'll be competing with Sanchez and Martial.

 

[Rajma]

It`s been ages since he played as striker so people should not judge him too much. Would love it if he got a run of games until the end of the season.

Go back to my older posts, and that was exactly my prediction, boy forgot how to play cf since he barely had a look in there all season and all of the sudden people are on his back, not least surprising.

 

[AndersB]

The only thing he really knows to do as a central striker is to run the channels, and even then he runs them almost more like a winger. Could have developed into a striker if he started playing there consistently way back, maybe, but seems too late now somehow

 

[Rake]

Go back to my older posts, and that was exactly my prediction, boy forgot how to play cf since he barely had a look in there all season and all of the sudden people are on his back, not least surprising.

There was one point in the game when were attacking and he just started jogging toward the left side of the pitch and then recalled that he actually needs to be the main striker. It is not easy shifting responsibilities but people will slate him no matter what.

 

[shamans]

To be honest I always thought Rashford was overrated but he has proven me wrong again and again so I can't say much. I do have concerns about his technique though. He is young and things may change next season.

 

[ash_86]

Rashford, unlike Martial, has shown he's capable of playing just as well on the right. He is more inconsistent there though. Perhaps with further gametime there he could improve that consistency and make himself a real option on the right. Or perhaps not and he'll always be more suited to the left where unless something changes he'll be competing with Sanchez and Martial.

Mourinho said that he'll not be bringing in an attacker in the summer. Hopefully Rashford is open to take up the RF right from the pre-season and make it his own.

 

[Snow]

Rashford, unlike Martial, has shown he's capable of playing just as well on the right. He is more inconsistent there though. Perhaps with further gametime there he could improve that consistency and make himself a real option on the right. Or perhaps not and he'll always be more suited to the left where unless something changes he'll be competing with Sanchez and Martial.

I don't agree with this at all. I think Rashford is very poor on the right. He's static and doesn't know what to do with himself off the ball. If he doesn't have a runway in front of him there will not much come from him.

 

[MadDogg]

I don't agree with this at all. I think Rashford is very poor on the right. He's static and doesn't know what to do with himself off the ball. If he doesn't have a runway in front of him there will not much come from him.

He has had some very good games on the right. He's certainly also had poor games as well, so it's hard to know if he'd improve there given time or whether he'd always be stronger coming off the left.

 

[AP88]

He needs to mature as a #9, but that isn’t going to happen here....so next best option is to develop him into a default right winger, seeing as Sanchez and Martial are better technically to come inside into congestion from the left, while Rashford could become a Willian-type industrious wide man with a good delivery, something he clearly has in his locker given his strong kicking technique.

Long term, I’d say Greenwood already looks like he’ll be a technically more accomplished, more intelligent centre forward, so Marcus should think about permanently adjusting to attain a future at United - I could even see him as an attacking righback.

 

[breakout67]

If you need game time to remember how to play as a striker then that is not your position.

Rashford was developed in youth football to play behind the striker, and he has shown better performances on the left than as a striker.

People seem to romanticize his half season under LVG. He was much more limited back then and has developed many more attributes that allow him to play from wide. Rashford is a bit like Jamie Vardy, very good at running behind defences, but lacks the physical qualities to handle deep set defences.

Rashford is very good in big games, because there is more space for him to work in.

 

[The Mitcher]

He needs to mature as a #9, but that isn’t going to happen here....so next best option is to develop him into a default right winger, seeing as Sanchez and Martial are better technically to come inside into congestion from the left, while Rashford could become a Willian-type industrious wide man with a good delivery, something he clearly has in his locker given his strong kicking technique.

Long term, I’d say Greenwood already looks like he’ll be a technically more accomplished, more intelligent centre forward, so Marcus should think about permanently adjusting to attain a future at United - I could even see him as an attacking righback.

Where on earth do you see that?!

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Didn't get in to the game much when he came on. Would have liked to see him and Martial swapped.

Hoping he starts vs Brighton.

 

[AP88]

Where on earth do you see that?!

Just his attributes - he’s so limited technically as a forward it’s quite worrying for him long-term with the likes of Martial and Sanchez ahead of him plus Greenwood and Chong on the horizon. Good pace and stamina, hard worker, decent kicking style, but requires space to run forward into - he’s like Danny Rose in that regard.

Right wing has to be what he focuses on, but he should be open to accepting his limitations and adjust accordingly.

 

[AshRK]

For the first time in his career I have seen him look frustrated . Can't blame him. He scored 2 wonderful goals against liverpool and then he lost his place. Jose should have utilized him better rather than as a bit part player.

 

[bosnian_red]

Go back to my older posts, and that was exactly my prediction, boy forgot how to play cf since he barely had a look in there all season and all of the sudden people are on his back, not least surprising.

Tbf I never actually think hes played the lone striker role very well. He could have moments but the moments were always him running into balls in behind the random time he got the chance to. That's not really a lone striker quality, but something that would happen anywhere in the attack. If that doesnt happen, hes almost invisible up top.

Put him alongside another striker, then fine. Put him on the wing to drift in, fine. Dont think he'll ever be suited to a lone striker, and that's been my opinion since the day he broke through, and I've seen nothing to change it. Huge potential, just not as that.

 

[Canagel]

He offers absolutely nothing as a striker when we need to break down teams and there's little space in behind. Fellaini did a better job as a striker when he came on and he isn't a striker. Not quite sure where Rashford fits in long term. I believe he should make the transition either to a RW or a second striker/number 10. He isn't going to make it as a LW or number 9 IMO. And we have players better suited for those positions than him. I really believe he can make the transition to RW/right sided forward with the right coaching ,learning how to time his runs and position himself to isolate his defender etc. He needs to make himself unpredictable.

 

[DancingPanda]

Couldn't he become a good typical Mourinho #9 if he bulk up a bit? He is still very young and there's a lot of time to develop his game. For example, compare Zlatan's abilities before and after his time in Juventus. Fabio Capello really changed him as a player, made him bulk up A LOT and become better at his finishing. I could see Rashford doing something similar in the future - he seems to have the mental strength and the motivation to train hard and become better as a player.

I wouldn't want to see him loaned out. Even though there is a lot he can improve, he still has moments of brilliance. Makes important goals in big matches, too.

 

[el3mel]

Martial looks to have better hold up play and linking with others as a striker than Rashford and I'm not even convinced that ST is Martial's best position as I said before. Rashford just don't strike me a lone number 9 striker that carries the weight of the attack. Flanks suit his pace more.

Whenever Lukaku is absent we should play with Martial or Sanchez as a striker. Actually, I think Mourinho should have switched Sanchez to striker position and put Rashford on the left flank instead of doing the opposite imo.

 

[Bojan11]

And that is why he doesn’t start as striker or doesn’t start in general.

 

[Bastian]

I don't see him capable of leading the line as a sole striker, at all. He's fantastic as a left-sided attacker though. I think Martial would do better alone upfront, even if that's not ideal either. Both would work in a 442 playing off a main striker, but then we'd need to have actual wide players and full backs.

 

[spiriticon]

As crap as Martial.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Will get a lot of stick tonight, and I guess it's to be expected, because he was poor. However, Lukaku has equally given us those kind of performances. Only he has played a lot more times and has been able to find his match rhythm.

 

[Adisa]

Regressed badly. No presence as a striker.
Pretty brains dead most times to boot.

 

[FujiVice]

Looks like he's playing with enormous pressure to perform. You're not allowed to express yourself in Mourinho's sides and this is what we have ended up with. A player who once showed no fear as a teenager is now Theo Walcott.

 

[Kostov]

I don't see him capable of leading the line as a sole striker, at all. He's fantastic as a left-sided attacker though. I think Martial would do better alone upfront, even if that's not ideal either. Both would work in a 442 playing off a main striker, but then we'd need to have actual wide players and full backs.

He isn’t fantastic as anything. Stop overrating him.

 

[redIndianDevil]

As crap as Martial.

Oh please Martial was far better. Rashford is the new Welbeck. He has started to think too much of himself.

 

[el3mel]

Our worst option as a striker. Wrap Lukaku in cotton wool, we're fecked without him.

 

[Adam-Utd]

He’s never going to be a good number 9.

He just doesn’t have the movement or killer instinct required. He ball watches way too much and makes very little runs off the ball.

His hold up play under pressure is awful and his touch/hold up play makes Lukaku look like berbatov.

Shame jamie redknapp wasn’t there to comment.

 

[Bastian]

He isn’t fantastic as anything. Stop overrating him.

He was pretty sensational against Liverpool. He's got the potential for sure. But his decision-making and composure is sorely lacking.