[Red00012]

Did I watch a different set of highlights? I saw one standard assist from wide, several wild misses and not much else. Didn't find it all that impressive. I always have trouble translating it to first team readiness

I was thinking the same after watching it to be honest I think some people don’t even watch the videos and just post. I’ve definitely seen much better clips of him. Looking at that clip his finishing needs a bit of working on, another clip might show different.

 

[Aloysius's Back 3]

I've never rated Rashford as anything special. Even when Rashford was coming through the academy I didn't see anything special about him other than him being fast. When LVG thrust him straight into the first team after we had a injury crisis I was very surprised, due to not being overly impressed at all with Rashford in the academy.

Not a popular opinion I know...

That's because Rashford was a winger wasn't he? He impressed as a CF when breaking through.

 

[GledTheRed]

He didnt play for Huddersfield mate. United had a u-6's development centre set up in Huddersfield and it was easier for Mason and family to travel to Huddersfield from Wibsey.

Ah OK got ya mate, I think he's nailed on is Greenwood.

Completely right. Massively hyperbolic.

L.Ronaldo-esque. Jesus Christ. He did a few shit stepovers which resulted in nothing. More worryingly he gave the ball away 5-6 times, missed an open-goal header and made some very poor decisions in the final third.

Those stopovers were really impressive actually, have not got a clue which way he's gonna go due to how two footed he is. Aside from his poor shits, that was an impressive highlight reel.

 

[Terminator]

He seems to be getting really big, any estimation on how tall he is now?

 

[Adnan]

That's because Rashford was a winger wasn't he? He impressed as a CF when breaking through.

Rashford did play as a winger coming through. Didn't particularly excell to the point where one would say he was ready for the first team. Rashford has LVG to thank for his early inclusion in the first team.

 

[Striker10]

Rashford only made it cause of Will Keanes Injury/s. I am probably similar to adnan. I didn't think he was this that or the other but he took his chances

 

[Reapersoul20]

Ah OK got ya mate, I think he's nailed on is Greenwood.


Those stopovers were really impressive actually, have not got a clue which way he's gonna go due to how two footed he is. Aside from his poor shits, that was an impressive highlight reel.

It really, really isn't.

 

[sam147]

Greenwood is far more talented in the academy than Rashford was. He has put up phenomenal numbers, he is both footed, intelligent in his movement and has good decision making. However, Rashford had outstanding work ethic to take his chance. If Greenwood shows that same mentality he can easily make it.

 

[GledTheRed]

It really, really isn't.

Nice one, cheers.

 

[Loublaze]

No. He will be a far better player than Rashford.

Unless you have a crystal ball you can't know that

I've never rated Rashford as anything special. Even when Rashford was coming through the academy I didn't see anything special about him other than him being fast. When LVG thrust him straight into the first team after we had a injury crisis I was very surprised, due to not being overly impressed at all with Rashford in the academy.

Not a popular opinion I know...

How do you view Rashford as a senior player? He's not just the kick and run player you once thought he was im sure. Greenwood has a lot to do to actually live up to the hype or what Rashford has achieved thus far in the senior team, including that impressive start with 4 goals in two debuts, close to 50 career goals at 21 and not far off Rooney's tally at the same age. Do you think Greenwood can have that immediate impact or are you thinking more long term overall peak potential? Greenwood is very exciting, but players like Januzaj, Wilshere, Morrison, Kieran Richardson, Macheda, Djordic, Daehli, Pearson, Ben Thornley, Possebon, Mads Timm and even the forgotten below the rador signing Angelo Henriquez were all highly thought of young players and it came to naught.

 

[Sterling Archer]

I think some people don’t even watch the videos and just post.

I'm absolutely convinced this is frequently the case. Heck, we get so many match reactions from people that are prefaced with, "I didn't watch the match or highlights, but based on the comments:" and then they'll go on to criticize a player , the performance or referee

 

[The Nani]

Yes, he was uncharacteristically wasteful with his finishing on a couple of occasions. But that happens to the best of players. Either way, what you see in that video is what everyone is so excited about. His touch, composure, skill and awareness are all top class. Rarely do you see such polish from such a young player. His quality is obvious.

And how are the stepovers not impressive? He was going by defenders like they weren't there and/or manipulating them to his will. He uses a stepover and a body feint to turn a defender inside out and set himself up for a right-footed shot from nothing early on, forcing a good save from the keeper. On the assist, he runs straight at the defender using stepovers to put him on the back foot until the crease opened up to slide it across for a tap-in. That is extremely skillful, mature and, dare I say it, impressive play.

The only thing that could keep this lad from becoming a club legend is injury.

 

[Adnan]

Unless you have a crystal ball you can't know that



How do you view Rashford as a senior player? He's not just the kick and run player you once thought he was im sure. Greenwood has a lot to do to actually live up to the hype or what Rashford has achieved thus far in the senior team, including that impressive start with 4 goals in two debuts, close to 50 career goals at 21 and not far off Rooney's tally at the same age. Do you think Greenwood can have that immediate impact or are you thinking more long term overall peak potential? Greenwood is very exciting, but players like Januzaj, Wilshere, Morrison, Kieran Richardson, Macheda, Djordic, Daehli, Pearson, Ben Thornley, Possebon, Mads Timm and even the forgotten below the rador signing Angelo Henriquez were all highly thought of young players and it came to naught.

Rashford has definitely improved his shooting but I still don't see which position he will play long term. Will it be as CF or as a wide forward?. I don't think his finishing ability or his all round game is good enough to lead the line for us long term. Also the goals comparison with Rooney is misleading slightly. Rooney didn't play as a out an out striker when he was the same age as Rashford. Rooney used to drift all over the pitch and had high work rate to go with his impressive passing/vision.

Rashford should be compared to someone currently playing that is the same age as him, and is also touted as a huge talent. That player is Luka Jovic at Eintracht Frankfurt. Personally I believe Jovic is a better, more rounded CF compared to Rashford. Jovic is an absolute killer in and around the box and the rest of his game also very good for a 21 year old.

Mason is still very young at just 17 years old and needs to keep working hard, but I do believe he'll make it. I will be extremely dissapointed if he doesn't oust either Rashford or Lukaku from the CF slot within 12 to 18 months. Mason is a very good finisher with either foot. He's excellent in one v ones, and his dribbling from a technical stand point is very good for a striker. It'll be interesting to see how he does on the pre-season tour.

Ben Thornley suffered a horrific injury which stopped him from becoming the player he was tipped to become sadly. The rest of the young players you mention, only Januzaj and Morrison I was wrong about. Wilshere I never really saw enough of at a young age to have a opinion. Morrison was a particularly sad case..

 

[Reapersoul20]

Serious red-tinted spectacles in place in this thread.

 

[Fiskey]

If Greenwood make it and Rashford make CF his own for next decade scoring 25+ every season, our future is bright, did we had great attacking players coming through at this rate?

I remember everyone saying we had our forward line sorted for a decade when we had Macheda, Welbeck, Josh King and Will Keane coming through.

 

[Fiskey]

Greenwood is far more talented in the academy than Rashford was. He has put up phenomenal numbers, he is both footed, intelligent in his movement and has good decision making. However, Rashford had outstanding work ethic to take his chance. If Greenwood shows that same mentality he can easily make it.

Rashford was always seen as an academy star, this narrative that he came from nowhere is a bit of a myth. He just never played much reserve football as he was in the 1st team so early.

 

[roonster09]

Rashford was always seen as an academy star, this narrative that he came from nowhere is a bit of a myth. He just never played much reserve football as he was in the 1st team so early.

Exactly. It's like someone mentioned it and everyone repeat it as if that's the truth.

2014, when he was 16 year old, City, Arsenal, Chelsea all wanted to sign him. Also it was sort of big news that City wanted to sign him.

Manchester City are chasing Marcus Rashford, the 16-year-old rising star at neighbours Manchester United.

The attacking midfielder is one of the most highly sought after talents for his age group but United have yet to wrap up terms on a new contract.

City are particularly keen while Chelsea and Arsenal also have an interest.

United are reluctant to pay out big-money contracts and constantly risk losing some players due to greater financial incentives being offered at other clubs.

2014, Guardian (Jamie Jackson) reported Rashford as the one to look out for in ManUtd academy and this was before he became tall and rapid. He was described as a playmaker and also a total football style for his ability to drop deep and initiate attacks.
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...0-of-the-best-talents-at-premier-league-clubs

His redcafe thread in 2012 when he was around 14 years old
https://www.redcafe.net/threads/marcus-rashford.354968/#post-11783549

Nicky Butt in 2015

"He is one of those players who you like and ask yourself 'How can he not play at the top level?'" says Butt. "In my opinion he is a top, top player. He has a lot to learn still obviously. He has to learn to get better at finishing and getting in the right areas.

"You want more goals and the coaching staff are always feeding him information. We show him videos of Ruud van Nistelrooy, for instance, and how he scored his goals in the six-yard area. Marcus tends to get a bit frustrated in there and comes out of the areas to get the ball and then tries to run through. That is a very difficult skill -- and you don't score many goals like that.

"But the added things are he has electric pace, a great work ethic and a willingness to learn."

 

[Adam-Utd]

Serious red-tinted spectacles in place in this thread.

I don't really get what you're trying to argue about here? clearly you don't rate him which is fine, but posts like this are pointless.

Many of us including myself think he's a special talent. Clearly the coaching staff do to.

 

[Swiss_Red89]

He really seems to be ridicoulus talented. But he first has to show that he can transform it to high level football.

Looking forward to endless "Rashford vs Greenwood" comparisons.

It would be a dream to have two english forwards from the academy firing on all cylinders though.

 

[Mickson]

Rashford was good but he was no Greenwood, Gomes, Morrison, Pogba etc. I have followed our youth teams for over 10 years and I could never see Rashford ending up like this. His temperament is fantastic and he only seems to be fitter, faster and stronger for each day. Ronaldo like. As for Greenwood, he really should be in the first team squad every week, and certainly on the bench before the disaster Marcos Rojo.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Rashford was good but he was no Greenwood, Gomes, Morrison, Pogba etc. I have followed our youth teams for over 10 years and I could never see Rashford ending up like this. His temperament is fantastic and he only seems to be fitter, faster and stronger for each day. Ronaldo like. As for Greenwood, he really should be in the first team squad every week, and certainly on the bench before the disaster Marcos Rojo.

Bad news, he's more than likely going to be starting the next 2 games (i'd personally play Dalot LB and Jones/Valencia RB at worst case)

 

[Mickson]

Bad news, he's more than likely going to be starting the next 2 games (i'd personally play Dalot LB and Jones/Valencia RB at worst case)

Time for Ole Gunnar "I will give youth a chance" Solskjaer to prove what he's about. But I suspect that you're right.

 

[Raven]

Completely right. Massively hyperbolic.

L.Ronaldo-esque. Jesus Christ. He did a few shit stepovers which resulted in nothing. More worryingly he gave the ball away 5-6 times, missed an open-goal header and made some very poor decisions in the final third.

Whilst he wasn't at his most impressive, the stepovers were good. The reason they've been referred to as L.Ronaldoesque is because he throws his whole body into each stepover.

 

[ErranMorad]

Bad news, he's more than likely going to be starting the next 2 games (i'd personally play Dalot LB and Jones/Valencia RB at worst case)

Valencia! Will he be fit by then? Or has he been fit all along but we have actually given up on him?

 

[Adam-Utd]

Valencia! Will he be fit by then? Or has he been fit all along but we have actually given up on him?

He played 90 minutes for Equador last week, but whether that fitness is up to our standard I don't know.
It seems a bit of a weird scenario as he's pretty much fallen off the face of a cliff recently.

I'd genuinely rather play Darmian than Rojo. Rojo away to Valencia was one of the worst performances I can remember in a United shirt.

 

[Hoof the ball]

I'm gonna say it.......He's supremely talented and about as sure as you can get when it comes to a player making it at the top level...........but, I'm so jaded by youngsters who were guaranteed to make it, only for it never to materialise.

James Wilson being the last one. Remember the game vs. City youth where he banged in those four goals and dribbled past four or five from the halfway line? Had had a very similar scoring rate to Greenwood and dominated in games much the same way, also. I just hope that Greenwood has the mental and psychological strength and focus that Wilson didn't, and a little more luck with injuries.

 

[11101]

I'm gonna say it.......He's supremely talented and about as sure as you can get when it comes to a player making it at the top level...........but, I'm so jaded by youngsters who were guaranteed to make it, only for it never to materialise.

James Wilson being the last one. Remember the game vs. City youth where he banged in those four goals and dribbled past four or five from the halfway line? Had had a very similar scoring rate to Greenwood and dominated in games much the same way, also. I just hope that Greenwood has the mental and psychological strength and focus that Wilson didn't, and a little more luck with injuries.

But Wilson relied heavily on his pace. All four goals there were a result of him using it to run into the kind of space he would never get in the PL. Even at the best of times pace isn't enough to survive in the PL and when he lost his there was just an average footballer left.

Greenwood doesn't have that problem. If he doesn't make it, it wont be because he was too one dimensional. Personally i think his speed of execution is what he needs to improve to start playing regularly in the first team.

 

[Adnan]

Exactly. It's like someone mentioned it and everyone repeat it as if that's the truth.

2014, when he was 16 year old, City, Arsenal, Chelsea all wanted to sign him. Also it was sort of big news that City wanted to sign him.


2014, Guardian (Jamie Jackson) reported Rashford as the one to look out for in ManUtd academy and this was before he became tall and rapid. He was described as a playmaker and also a total football style for his ability to drop deep and initiate attacks.
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...0-of-the-best-talents-at-premier-league-clubs

His redcafe thread in 2012 when he was around 14 years old
https://www.redcafe.net/threads/marcus-rashford.354968/#post-11783549

Nicky Butt in 2015

Nicky Butt described Saidy Janko as having great ability on the ball, before it was proven that Saidy was anything but great on the ball.

 

[Loublaze]

I remember everyone saying we had our forward line sorted for a decade when we had Macheda, Welbeck, Josh King and Will Keane coming through.

Rashford was always seen as an academy star, this narrative that he came from nowhere is a bit of a myth. He just never played much reserve football as he was in the 1st team so early.

Many also raved about lesser talents like Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Fraiser Campbell, Febian Brady and Ashley Fletcher. To your second post, the fact that he played little reserve football before he was fast tracked into the first team (fateful as it was) shows he was ready for the big time and that he was too good to be wasted in the ranks. The others played in the reserves long enough for committed reserve watchers to know learn their styles and get attached to them. Marcus breezed past them without having to impress down there, he did it on the big stage

 

[Loublaze]

Nicky Butt described Saidy Janko as having great ability on the ball, before it was proven that Saidy was anything but great on the ball.

So we shouldn't take the word of a team coach about a player's ability but we should believe you when you say Greenwood will outshine Rashford in the first team?

 

[Adnan]

So we shouldn't take the word of a team coach about a player's ability but we should believe you when you say Greenwood will outshine Rashford in the first team?

I'm not saying you should take my word for it. But you shouldn't just blindly accept the opinion of a ex player, when he has made questionable judgment calls himself.

 

[Loublaze]

I'm not saying you should take my word for it. But you shouldn't just blindly accept the opinion of a ex player, when he has made questionable judgment calls himself.

I agree with that. I also think its premature to think Greenwood will upstage Rashford when he hasn't been given much of a chance to impress in the first team yet

 

[Adnan]

I agree with that. I also think its premature to think Greenwood will upstage Rashford when he hasn't been given much of a chance to impress in the first team yet

I agree with you that I could be wrong and it wouldn't be the first time either. But for me, Mason looks a bigger prospect for the CF position.

 

[roonster09]

Nicky Butt described Saidy Janko as having great ability on the ball, before it was proven that Saidy was anything but great on the ball.

So? He was picked as talent to watch by Guardian, City wanted to sign him as he was our best prospect and we had thread here when he was just 14 as there was so much talk about him.

 

[ErranMorad]

He played 90 minutes for Equador last week, but whether that fitness is up to our standard I don't know.
It seems a bit of a weird scenario as he's pretty much fallen off the face of a cliff recently.

I'd genuinely rather play Darmian than Rojo. Rojo away to Valencia was one of the worst performances I can remember in a United shirt.

Rojo is a walking disaster. I would prefer we go three at the back for the next two PL games and use Dalot and Darmian as wingbacks. Both players seem more adept in that role. Having said that, Rojo has been on the bench the last few times so I am expecting him to start to LB.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Of course there are never any guarantees. But Greenwood looks a wonderful talent. It's all about stating fit, having the right attitude and making the transition.

 

[Adnan]

So? He was picked as talent to watch by Guardian, City wanted to sign him as he was our best prospect and we had thread here when he was just 14 as there was so much talk about him.

You used Nicky Butt to make your point like he has some flawless record in judging player potential. We signed Saidy Janko due to Butt and he went on record to say we were very lucky to sign him at 17 due to him having "great ability on the ball" which was later proven to be false when we saw him play.

Callum Gribbin was also wanted by City. And who else was on this Guardian list of future stars? Mind sharing the article?

 

[roonster09]

You used Nicky Butt to make your point like he has some flawless record in judging player potential. We signed Saidy Janko due to Butt and he went on record to say we were very lucky to sign him at 17 due to him having "great ability on the ball" which was later proven to be false when we saw him play.

Callum Gribbin was also wanted by City. And who else was on this Guardian list of future stars? Mind sharing the article?

It's not whether their judgement is right or wrong, point was whether Rashford was highly rated youngster which he was.

If I have to ignore Butt's opinion because of his judgement on some players then whatever anyone posts on CAF is also pile of nonsense. Everyone makes mistakes judging players.

Thats not even the point. It's about Rashford and he was rated as our best young talent.

I'm on mobile. It's posted in first Rashford's thread. Or just google Rashford guardian and filter results till 2015.

 

[In Rainbows]

Rashford was always seen as an academy star, this narrative that he came from nowhere is a bit of a myth. He just never played much reserve football as he was in the 1st team so early.

Yes, but the point is whether he was at the level Greenwood is. He was not. He was a surprise in the sense that he excelled at the first team level when the others who were better at youth level, did not. You're confusing the argument. People aren't saying he was some nobody who was put in the first team and just ripped it. People are saying he was a great player, but not someone who everyone thought was a cert to make it.

 

[Fiskey]

Yes, but the point is whether he was at the level Greenwood is. He was not. He was a surprise in the sense that he excelled at the first team level when the others who were better at youth level, did not. You're confusing the argument. People aren't saying he was some nobody who was put in the first team and just ripped it. People are saying he was a great player, but not someone who everyone thought was a cert to make it.

Even if that is the argument being made, I don't think it's true. Rashford was the highest rated academy product in quite some time, @roonster09 pointed some quotes out and there are others out there. I remember Ravel Morrison's agent saying Rashford was the best player in the United academy after the Morrison/Pogba generation.