He's a quality player and he'll come back to form at some point.
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A lot of opinions on United for an MK Dons fan?
United is my weak spot.
Am I the only person who thinks Rashford has heavily based his game around Ronaldo's? The way he cuts inside and shoots, takes freekicks, etc seems always reminded me of Ronaldo. Ronaldo coming to the team was always going to be a problem for him after that.
When playing Sancho on the left, during the defensive phase Ronaldo can stay on the left wing, and Sancho helps out in defense; while attacking Ronaldo moves into the penalty area and Sancho can move to the wing. Rashford doesn't have Sancho finesse on the wings or his work rate to be deployed on the left. So he has to work on changing his game to be useful from the right. Greenwood is much better than him on the right for now.
The way AWB plays, a player hugging the right wing would complement him the best. During attack, AWB seems more comfortable moving infield than staying out wide. Sancho was a great signing in that regard but has been forced to the left for now. Rashford and Greenwood wanting to occupy the same inside right space as AWB is a tactical issue.
When playing Sancho on the left, during the defensive phase Ronaldo can stay on the left wing, and Sancho helps out in defense; while attacking Ronaldo moves into the penalty area and Sancho can move to the wing. Rashford doesn't have Sancho finesse on the wings or his work rate to be deployed on the left. So he has to work on changing his game to be useful from the right. Greenwood is much better than him on the right for now.
The way AWB plays, a player hugging the right wing would complement him the best. During attack, AWB seems more comfortable moving infield than staying out wide. Sancho was a great signing in that regard but has been forced to the left for now. Rashford and Greenwood wanting to occupy the same inside right space as AWB is a tactical issue.
The main thing with Rashford is that his game is purely based on pace and agility, and to be fair to him this has served him relatively well in his career so far. But in the past ten years or so football at the very highest level has evolved at quite the pace that being a physical specimen alone is no longer enough, in my opinion. Having a good footballing brain has become equally as, if not more, important than just being quick or agile or physically dominant.
Him being a complete dimwit on the pitch isn't entirely his fault, it's a greater symptom of the sheer incompetence that has plagued the club from top to bottom since Fergie left. Time is firmly on his side, however, and though I have my reservations I hope Rangnick and his successor do wonders with him.
Rashford is playing shit. Greenwood is playing shit. Sancho is playing shit to average as a LW inverted forward but playing much better as a touchline RW. Martial is Martial.
I'm personally not fussed about the form of these players because we are now a team whose main tactic is to get the best out of C Ronaldo the striker.
Expecting players like Rashford and Greenwood to play or score like they used to such as Rashfords 20 goal season or Greenwood's goalscoring start to the season; is to me unrealistic.
We see this with Bruno Fernandes, playing the same position and the main creative player of the team - but his performances have toned down a bit especially as a goalscorer.
Players like Rashford, Greenwood, Martial have gone from being our main key attacking outlet to more a temporary but important squad player.
I'm personally not fussed about the form of these players because we are now a team whose main tactic is to get the best out of C Ronaldo the striker.
Expecting players like Rashford and Greenwood to play or score like they used to such as Rashfords 20 goal season or Greenwood's goalscoring start to the season; is to me unrealistic.
We see this with Bruno Fernandes, playing the same position and the main creative player of the team - but his performances have toned down a bit especially as a goalscorer.
Players like Rashford, Greenwood, Martial have gone from being our main key attacking outlet to more a temporary but important squad player.
You have to caveat that with the intricacies of the combination football he and Martial displayed for a period of time that was the match of most combination footballers in the game. In the grand scheme, it now looks like a fleeting moment, but that version of Rashford looked like he was capable of developing as a rounded footballer who evidently was not reliant on pace or having acres of space ahead of himself to then influence a game.
I'd concur that putting him on tracks, not actively coaching and developing his football or mind to think like an apex player in terms of combination football has been absolutely ruinous for him as footballer; his game got reduced to the lowest common denominator (pace and shooting) and far removed from thinking about team-mates and options running parallel during an attack - we want a quantum brain, not a single core on tracks maxxed out, as that's an obvious single point failure that makes for a pace merchant who won't know what to do with himself if said attribute diminishes or is ineffective.
But, having said that, if his agility has gone, he's not going to be intrested in all those sudden twists and turns and sudden bursts of movement that good combination play can generate. In fact, it'd be the antithesis of what he'd want to do, so it's hard to call if, like me, you suspect his back has been compromised. If what I suspect is right, that version of Rashford can't come back, even if he wanted it to, and he'll have to modify his game anyway.
There's a conflation on the timeline, too; whilst running and shooting was reaping massive dividends, the reduction in his use of teammates was brushed over and he was being encouraged to be the mini-Ronaldo clone who it was fine he took on so many shots and prioritised his game over that concerted build-up he was doing so well with: would this even be a conversation if his strike rate was still so high, for example, no, obviously not. It's not poor decision-making if the ball is frequently going in the back of the net... so now those same parts of his game he was getting plaudits for are seen as brain dead, selfish or whatever other adjective, and he doesn't have that 'old' game of his to fall back on (imo), so he looks somewhat lost out there.
As an aside, do you think it's coincidence that Martial has fallen off a cliff as an overall player at around about the same time Rashford has? We took away the intricate chain play, and along with his terrible movement away from the ball, used Bruno's excitable, but often ill-considered binary style as our main conduit, rendering Martial's multiple touch/pass and break style redundant. I'm not saying us doing that was a bad thing, btw - Bruno is more reliable in his style than Martial in his, so takes precedence, but in terms of development or inclusive football, it sets some players down a different path, and for someone like Martial, makes him pretty much redundant.
I'm not writing Rashford off, but I think it's obvious why he's struggling. Perhaps Rangnick can get a tune out of him and re-modify his game. But I will say, if he's simply lost his agility, it's got to be a headfeck for one so young - catering for post-injury that forces change and adaptions is no given.
Some get back some semblance of what they once were, but others get taken down a level or two from what they once were - some old school examples, who were heavily reliant on their agility (standing start, sudden twists and turns) being Ronaldo and Del Piero, who although still world class post-injury, both lost their insane agility and mobility and, for them, were shadows of their former selves even though they made the best of what they their post-injury bodies could do. I know those were knees, but a fecked knee, or two, is infinitely better than your back not being what it was. Henry's decline would be most apt in comparison to Rashford as his was because of his back, and his whole game became a husk of what it was.
Hopefully, this is conjecture and I'm way off, but Rashford has not looked the player he was for a long time now, and 'his head not being in the game' does not cut it for me, when everything, [co-]incidentally, has gone south with his back.
Us then overplaying him and not affording the much needed rest and recuperation being similar to Owen's woes being compounded by Liverpool in his younger days.
Great post. There isn't anything here that I'd disagree. Us running him into the ground is another symptom of our sheer incompetence from top to bottom over the years as a football club -- for a young player he wasn't managed carefully enough by both Mourinho and especially Ole. I'm glad you brought that up.
On Martial: it seems to me that he's lost at least half a yard of pace, which was one of his main attributes along with close control dribbling when he first burst into the scene. Granted, your point on him being more suited and capable of intricate chain plays than Bruno still stands.
Young, exciting players who look like potential world beaters aged 19-22 that become actual world beaters are very few and far between. I think the criticism of Rashford would maybe not be so harsh if it wasn't for the fact that it seems to be a backlash against some people promulgating the idea he's anywhere close to the trajectory he was when he was 22. He's a decent player, good enough to be used as a rotation for teams challenging for honours. But because some people are so wedded still to this hope he's going to be a leading light for club and country, first name on the team sheet, they see such characterisations as a criticism. It's just being realistic.
He really should be spoken about in the same terms as McTominay or Lingard. Decent players who (as Lingard has proven) could probably be brilliant if they moved to a side where winning every week wasn't an expectation, who you probably wouldn't want to see in the first XI for United in an ideal world unless to cover injuries, to give better players a rest or in games/cup ties against obviously inferior opposition.
He really should be spoken about in the same terms as McTominay or Lingard. Decent players who (as Lingard has proven) could probably be brilliant if they moved to a side where winning every week wasn't an expectation, who you probably wouldn't want to see in the first XI for United in an ideal world unless to cover injuries, to give better players a rest or in games/cup ties against obviously inferior opposition.
I dont think a lot of peoples issue is him playing shit. Its more about how lazy he is now. We were told last year it was because of his injury, he has no excuses now.
This is a player Jose trusted to go Anfield and put in a defensive performance!
When's the last time he played consistently well? It must've been at least 2 years ago.
How many more seasons is he going to be allowed to coast through before some big names start calling him out on his performances/workrate?
While I agree he’s not world class and probably never will be. I do think context is important. Look at someone like Giggs for example. Bust onto the scene. Looked to be generational and then for my money he mostly flattered to device. A few really good games every season where he looked unplayable but pretty average a lot of the time. His main thing was his longevity and changing his game to play centrally. Compare Rasford to Giggs. Both playing on the left. Rashford is putting up much better numbers at the same age. Not every player has to be world class to get into the team, clearly. I’d be much more concerned about his lack of workrate. Giggs always worked his socks off even when his technical game wasn’t flowing. The next step up from those guys is basically world class and it’s the hardest step to take but you should never compromise on work rate
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From October 2019 till his back injury in January the following year, that was the time where he looked to finally have taken the next step in his development.
We all know Mourinho is in it for himself and whatever is left of the players is irrelevant, so it's not really great for up and comers, but in particular, youngsters in need of constant guidance and handling that'll see them have a long and healthy career. Ole is the main culprit here, though, because he knew full well Rashford wasn't right, but kept playing him, and playing him until he was spent. That's awful man-management and the opposite of protecting assets.
Rashford's young enough to still be malleable under a good coach, you'd hope. Hopefully, even if he's not the player he was in terms of agility and sudden movement, they can work something out and still have him be an effective player.
What concerns me is that when Henry's back went, he just would not go for those give and go actions or delve into the style of play that was bread and butter for him (standing men up, and either bursting past them, or offering the threat he would off his initial pass) and was on the periphery of games in the same way I think Marcus is these days.
Yes, I'd agree on Martial, he too has been delimited by injuries, and not being interested in games if they're not suited to what he wants to do. He's shown no desire to adapt his game, but again, who knows where coaching stands in that? Have we tried to drill anything into him if combination football is not on the table?
Well again I think that's the managers fault than the player. If Rangnick comes in and gets Martial pressing like a monster then does that make him lazy for all those performances for us before or was it that he wasn't coached or even maybe told to do so.
Look at Ronaldo, the guy presses in some games like Park ji Sung but some days he does the worst in the league in any sort of effort.
I see this with Greenwood to, when he does press, he presses the wrong way, and just gets fustrated and gives up.
Bruno presses and it leads the opponent a goalscoring chance because others decided not to and making us look like we play 424.
I think people need to calm down on their dissapointment or hate on players like Rashford, Greenwood or even wan bissaka. They have hardly played under good managers or coaches to really help then improve and should aim to get better with better ones.
So what you're saying is, hard work is something that should be instilled by the manager and not something that players need to take personal responsibility for?
We're not talking about pressing correctly, but a complete and utter lack of work-rate on show. There's a difference.
Well again I think that's the managers fault than the player. If Rangnick comes in and gets Martial pressing like a monster then does that make him lazy for all those performances for us before or was it that he wasn't coached or even maybe told to do so.
Look at Ronaldo, the guy presses in some games like Park ji Sung but some days he does the worst in the league in any sort of effort.
I see this with Greenwood to, when he does press, he presses the wrong way, and just gets fustrated and gives up.
Bruno presses and it leads the opponent a goalscoring chance because others decided not to and making us look like we play 424.
I think people need to calm down on their dissapointment or hate on players like Rashford, Greenwood or even wan bissaka. They have hardly played under good managers or coaches to really help then improve and should aim to get better with better ones.
Giggs was top class through until his 30s. I think how brilliant he was when he was 56 (or there abouts) playing in the middle of the park is overstated. I don't think Giggs as the CM he became in his later years was very good. But Giggs standard from debut to 32/33 was leagues above Rashford's peak let alone the performances he's been churning out now.
It’s scary that I wouldn’t be completely surprised if tomorrow he announces that he’s retiring from football and focusing on charity or something. He looks like he lost the love for football.
I don’t think anyone dislikes him as a person. I think many people don’t rate him that highly which isn’t the same thing.
Man Utd 1:0 Crystal Palace
Simply has to be dropped. Absolutely dreadful
Did some good pressing.
Felt he was our best forward in the first half.
Second half was shit.
Felt he was our best forward in the first half.
Second half was shit.
Another absolute shocker. He won't be able to mug Ralf off like he did with Ole. If he doesn't improve, he won't play.
I'm sure my wife has a better understanding of the offside rule than him.
I'm sure my wife has a better understanding of the offside rule than him.
I think he will be dropped and deservedly so. Greenwood should be starting along with Sancho.
Youre getting mixed up with Sancho I think. Felt Rashford was woeful both halves. Needs someone to give him a well deserved wake up call.
Oh dear.
Something is not quite right with him, looks lost and plays like that too. Definitely not starting material currently.
Really? Rashford was running pass players like he used to do.
It's the injuries thought, right...
Same shit, different day.
Wank.
Still no convinced, maybe its a fitness issue after coming back from injury, he needs to be doing it for the full 90 mins and not a few times in the first half, Sancho however definitely dropped off second though.
Hopeful Ralph wont have favourites like OGS clearly did.
He doesn't deserve his status at the club.
Worst player on the pitch. He seems really off. His once quick feet now look sloppy/slow, can't keep the ball close enough to him when dribbling. Constantly runs down blind alleys. Pretty pointless player currently.
Baffling as to why he was kept on over Sancho but we won so I can't complain too much. Either way, he should be nowhere near the first team on current form.
Baffling as to why he was kept on over Sancho but we won so I can't complain too much. Either way, he should be nowhere near the first team on current form.
He’ll play himself out of the side if he carries on like this. Rangnick won’t let it fly longterm.
Doesn't know the A B C of pressing. Needs a feckload of coaching on it.
He has continued his poor form post injury. I dont see why he should start ahead of Greenwood. Needs on his all-round game. Right now it's all just take your man on and shoot and we know his dribbling has never been top class.
It was one of the worst performances that I have seen in a while. He seems to be out of it, athletically and mentally.
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