The genius of Marcus Rashford

Mingus said:
Has rattled the snowflakes by having a good game I see.

It was interesting watching him a few times at O.T. this season . The amount of times he makes runs but isn't passed to was an eyeopener.

Having Garnacho on the other side has doubled the threat from the wide forward players which makes it harder for opposition teams to concentrate on nullifying him, without leaving gaps elsewhere.
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Not so sure about the good game.

I’ll support the whole squad but he’s very limited and rarely seems to get his head up nowadays.

He generally,
  • Cuts inside / shoots
  • Runs into the opposition
  • Goes outside / runs down a blind alley
I just find it really bizarre, there were times when he used to have us on the edge of our seats when he got the ball, now I just lose interest when it goes to him.

Initial reaction to the celebration was that it might not have been the wisest move, but he’s free to express himself however he likes. He might have to accept a bit of blowback though.

I think he’d be better off leaving if it’s all getting to him. Find a new challenge in a team that needs his particular strengths.
 
He played really well in1st half, but I just don't get the body langauge/attitude. Bums me out, I really love rooting for Rashford, but something is wrong.
 
Mingus said:
That's what happens in football. Having a good first half meant that Spurs had to devote more resources to stem the threat.

Last season he was more difficult to stop as he built up a lot of confidence. Getting pilloried for not attempting to dribble and being tackled when he does must play with his head. The same with "poor decision making" when things that were coming off last season suddenly don't anymore.

This is what has been happening with Saka recently.
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This is where we are now, cant blame the player as opponents try to be more difficult. Got it
 
amolbhatia50k said:
A) Unlike Nani, Rashford is all about end product. His general play is piss poor. B) Unlike Nani, forget goals and assists, Rashford wouldn’t even last at the club in that era he’s be so much below the required standard.
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Nani was regularly slated by fans up until January 2010. He arguably only had two a bit seasons of playing at a top level, in terms of his own form.

At the very least, their overall records are comparable. Rashford would have contributed just as much to United had he been playing in that successful team from 2007 - 2013 like Nani was.
 
MancunianAngels said:
Nani was regularly slated by fans up until January 2010. He arguably only had two a bit seasons of playing at a top level, in terms of his own form.

At the very least, their overall recordsnare comparable. Rashford would have contributed just as much to United had he been playing in that successful team from 2007 - 2013 like Nani was.
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Where do you think he would play in that team? I don't think he suits the out and out RW slot so he may have become more of a 9 maybe?
 
MancunianAngels said:
Nani was regularly slated by fans up until January 2010. He arguably only had two a bit seasons of playing at a top level, in terms of his own form.

At the very least, their overall records are comparable. Rashford would have contributed just as much to United had he been playing in that successful team from 2007 - 2013 like Nani was.
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Yes I know. For those two seasons he was absolutely brilliant. It’s all relative though. You can talk about ‘contributions’ as much as you want as it’s the only way Rashford can be argued to be equal or better. In every other aspect and there are so many, Nani was miles ahead. He did daft things too on a football pitch but in hindsight he was on a different level or three above altogether when it came to technical quality and general play. Rashford might be our daftest player in terms of football intelligence in 2023. And that’s saying a lot. His end product is decent and it always was his saving grace - he sums up modern Manchester United well. But like the rest of the team, he isn’t as good as what came before and Nani was a far better footballer.
 
Dec9003 said:
He gets dogs abuse whenever he’s not in the form of his life, he did a celebration which has only upset the people that shit on him online. If the shoe fits…
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Yeah ok. If you're going to rewrite history about the last year and then make massive assumptions about me and my opinions, you can do one.

The fact is it was a childish response by a player who has not been playing well and still isn't playing well. It says a lot about his mentality that he thinks he has the high ground after putting in one or two ok performances.
 
amolbhatia50k said:
A) Unlike Nani, Rashford is all about end product. His general play is piss poor. B) Unlike Nani, forget goals and assists, Rashford wouldn’t even last at the club in that era he’s be so much below the required standard.
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So much below is an obvious exaggeration. He could easily make it into Fergie's sides, especially the ones after 2009 which, in fairness, were nothing to write home about compared to their previous reincarnations. The big problem isn't that he lacks quality, it's that he has been elevated above his station by a club in search of a new hero. This is something that Ferguson would have never allowed to happen. I'll agree with the first point, no matter where he plays, he's a goalscorer. That's his role.
 
Marcus Rashford performs like a footballer who just shows up to games and is never bothered with having trained under a coach to instruct him on how he can improve his game. His athleticism beyond his question and his skill level is above average, but his match awareness is nonexistent.
 
Listen he has his limitations but if he was a part of Class 92 he would have been labeled a legend of the club
 
Mingus said:
Has rattled the snowflakes by having a good game I see.

It was interesting watching him a few times at O.T. this season . The amount of times he makes runs but isn't passed to was an eyeopener.

Having Garnacho on the other side has doubled the threat from the wide forward players which makes it harder for opposition teams to concentrate on nullifying him, without leaving gaps elsewhere.
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He had an inconsistent game. Some very good play but mostly taking up/finding himself in good positions before running into people or refusing to pass the ball. He's infuriating at times.
 
Ish said:
Seems like everything on these boards are polarized to the extreme these days. Sad times when there’s such a lack of objectivity - especially with people so entrenched in their views & wanting to be right, they avoid any form of evidence to the contrary. Not aimed at anyone really. Just a general observation.
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This (unfortunately) is quite correct; I find myself reluctant to post usually for this exact reason, usually stuck between two polarized arguments!
 
Herschel Krustofsky said:
Not so sure about the good game.

I’ll support the whole squad but he’s very limited and rarely seems to get his head up nowadays.

He generally,
  • Cuts inside / shoots
  • Runs into the opposition
  • Goes outside / runs down a blind alley
I just find it really bizarre, there were times when he used to have us on the edge of our seats when he got the ball, now I just lose interest when it goes to him.

Initial reaction to the celebration was that it might not have been the wisest move, but he’s free to express himself however he likes. He might have to accept a bit of blowback though.

I think he’d be better off leaving if it’s all getting to him. Find a new challenge in a team that needs his particular strengths.
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The "goes outside/runs down a blind alley" is the part about his game that drives me the most crazy
 
fergieisold said:
He had an inconsistent game. Some very good play but mostly taking up/finding himself in good positions before running into people or refusing to pass the ball. He's infuriating at times.
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He was a threat. I think a lot of you hate it when he takes defenders on and fails where I'd prefer it if he carried on trying to be direct rather than pass the ball back to a midfielder (within reason of course). It doesn't really help his confidence when everyone is on his back and spurting vitriol at every setback.

For someone who "refuses to pass the ball" he has a lot of career assists.

He literally scored after playing a 1-2.

clarkydaz said:
He would be torn to shreds by his own team mates the moment he doesnt defend
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I've yet to hear EtH complain about this. Could it be possible that he's been asked to stay forward where he is dangerous to the opposition rather than track back and then be unavailable for the transition after the ball has been won back by a colleague who's been given that task?
 
People want to use this performance to ridicule fans for criticising Rashford, really? This is a guy earning 350K per week, 26 years old, coming off a back of a 30 goal season and has absolutely stunk the place out with insipid performances and absolute lack of work ethic. A couple of performances where he has been a ‘threat’ are enough for people to forget the last 20 odd games? Absolute lack of standards. We need to make an example of him and get him out of the club, along with a bunch of others.
 
Abhinav said:
People want to use this performance to ridicule fans for criticising Rashford, really? This is a guy earning 350K per week, 26 years old, coming off a back of a 30 goal season and has absolutely stunk the place out with insipid performances and absolute lack of work ethic. A couple of performances where he has been a ‘threat’ are enough for people to forget the last 20 odd games? Absolute lack of standards. We need to make an example of him and get him out of the club, along with a bunch of others.
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Yes, get anyone who goes through some bad form out of the club. Poor Scholesy would’ve been gone in 2001.
 
Mingus said:
Has rattled the snowflakes by having a good game I see.

It was interesting watching him a few times at O.T. this season . The amount of times he makes runs but isn't passed to was an eyeopener.

Having Garnacho on the other side has doubled the threat from the wide forward players which makes it harder for opposition teams to concentrate on nullifying him, without leaving gaps elsewhere.
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If that’s what you consider a good game then I don’t know what to say. Constantly gave the ball away , ran into holes . Slows down the whole attack by stopping with the ball while he allows the opposition to get back.
What sums him up is that ball that Bruno played in the 2nd half was exactly the same as what Bruno Guimariaes played to Gordon . Compare and contrast the 2 players after the ball was played.
 
Regulus Arcturus Black said:
Yes, get anyone who goes through some bad form out of the club. Poor Scholesy would’ve been gone in 2001.
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Really, you want to compare Paul Scholes to Rashford :lol:? Remind me again how was Rashford’s form in 21/22? This guy is in his 8th full season with us and if we are being generous, 3 of them can be considered as being United starting attacker quality. So we keep paying Rashford through the roof, for delivering once every 2 seasons. It’s not as if he has any redeeming qualities when he is not scoring. He runs into blind alleys, gets dispossessed, doesn't track back and looks like he would rather be anywhere other than on the pitch. How the standards have fallen.
 
Better Nani comparison would be Martial. Martial had a cult like following for a few years even when he blew hot and cold because he was very talented and aesthetically pleasing. He never went on to explode into the player people expected. That happened with Nani too. He has a world class highlights package without ever hitting the world class level. Fantastic strike with either foot, long range curlers and powerful shots into the top corner, solo runs where he weaves past defenders rather than just kick and run. He was on his day a joy to watch but when he wasn't on it he could a liability.

Rashford while not as easy on the eye has delivered lots of end product. As a dribbler he is kick and run. Michael Owen scored a lot of goals where he knocked the ball past a defender and won the chase to go on and shoot. The minute his pace went through injury he was no longer able to score those goals because he was never a skillful dribbler. He no longer had the headstart in a footrace. That will likely happen to Rashford if he suffers injuries like Owen. However one thing you cannot knock Rashford for is he tries to play to his strength and it has worked plenty of times.
 
Mingus said:
I've yet to hear EtH complain about this. Could it be possible that he's been asked to stay forward where he is dangerous to the opposition rather than track back and then be unavailable for the transition after the ball has been won back by a colleague who's been given that task?
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Sure thats possible, you would wonder why he was dropped if following orders though
 
Truth with Rashford is: Yes he was handled wrongly by the club and should have never been made the highest paid star player of the Team. He should have been a squad player who, when in form and on fire, can help the Team a lot but also should be taken out of the firing line when having one of his bad patches. (I'm 100% sure Ferguson would have recognised that and used him differently as we have done).

Buuut: The treatment he gets from this fanbase has been toxic for years. As soon as he has 1-2 not so good games the knives are out. And yes, it was like that from the very beginning where he, after his sensational start, soon had to prove to be "good enough" and not a "three months wonder."

Guy plays football on the highest level and under an enormous amount of pressure to perform since age 18. All of this while being inconsistent in his decision making and technical ability and having average teammates and all sorts of coaches around him. Therefore, he deserves respect for delivering the numbers he has done. Bot a lot of our toxic fans cannot wait for the next wrong decision to shout all sorts of insults at him. And claim that he is "everything wrong at the club" and "we will never win the League with him." True support looks different for me. Rashford is obviously aware of all this and when he then hits back a bit with a celebration gesture the same fans feel offended about it.

It's very sad that the relationship between the fans and a youth product who has scored a buckload of goals for the club has turned toxic like this. Rashford has his fault and played his part in it, but this fanbase is definitely to blame for it as well.
 
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norm87cro said:
Listen he has his limitations but if he was a part of Class 92 he would have been labeled a legend of the club
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Primarily because Sir Alex would get ever litttle bit out of him.

Or immediately ship him off.
 
Swiss_Red89 said:
Truth with Rashford is: Yes he was handled wrongly by the club and should have never been made the highest paid star player of the Team. He should have been a squad player who, when in form and on fire, can help the Team a lot but also should be taken out of the firing line when having one of his bad patches. (I'm 100% sure Ferguson would have recognised that and used him differently as we have done).

Buuut: The treatment he gets from this fanbase has been toxic for years. As soon as he has 1-2 not so good games the knives are out. And yes, it was like that from the very beginning where he, after his sensational start, soon had to prove to be "good enough" and not a "three months wonder."

Guy plays football on the highest level and under an enormous amount of pressure to perform since age 18. All of this while being inconsistent in his decision making and technical ability and having average teammates and all sorts of coaches around him. Therefore, he deserves respect for delivering the numbers he has done. Bot a lot of our toxic fans cannot wait for the next wrong decision to shout all sorts of insults at him. And claim that he is "everything wrong at the club" and "we will never win the League with him." True support looks different for me. Rashford is obviously aware of all this and when he then hits back a bit with a celebration gesture the same fans feel offended about it.

It's very sad that the relationship between the fans and a youth product who has scored a buckload of goals for the club has turned toxic like this. Rashford has his fault and played his part in it, but this fanbase is definitely to blame for it as well.
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What a load of horseshit. How are fans at fault for Rashford playing with no desire? When he loses the ball and stands still, throws his hands in the air and does not track back? When he keeps going for the goal at crazy angles, ignoring team mates who are in a much better position? Are fans controlling him with a joystick?
Rashford has been supported and indulged because he is a local lad. He should respect that and show on the pitch what that really means to him, instead of reacting to criticism after playing terribly for 20 odd games ( and no, its not one or two games and they are not ‘not so good’ but a string of terrible performances).
Ryan Giggs faced toxicity from the fan base after he was booed by his own fans despite playing at a high level season in season out. Not Marcus Rashford.
 
Withnail said:
Yeah ok. If you're going to rewrite history about the last year and then make massive assumptions about me and my opinions, you can do one.

The fact is it was a childish response by a player who has not been playing well and still isn't playing well. It says a lot about his mentality that he thinks he has the high ground after putting in one or two ok performances.
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Like I said, if the shoe fits. The guy gets criticism which he deserves, and gets over the top abuse which he doesn’t deserve. Call him childish or whatever but you’re not much of a supporter if even him scoring and celebrating gets you this irate. Do you think you have the high ground over Rashford because he did a little celebration?
 
Physiocrat said:
He may have learned to pass yesterday because Hojlund passed it back to him and he scored.
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No- I hoped so too, but during the second half he was in with a great chance to set up Hojlund but instead chose to try and score himself, running headlong into trouble as per usual.
 
Dec9003 said:
Like I said, if the shoe fits. The guy gets criticism which he deserves, and gets over the top abuse which he doesn’t deserve. Call him childish or whatever but you’re not much of a supporter if even him scoring and celebrating gets you this irate. Do you think you have the high ground over Rashford because he did a little celebration?
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Again with the assumptions. I don't get irate over things like this. I think he's been a silly boy and it shows a lack of character and a poor mentality. I've no idea why you're reading so much emotion into my posts when there isn't any. And lay off the condescension it's tiresome.
 
Plant0x84 said:
If things were different and he played in light blue across the city under a different bald genius our fan base, especially the online contingent would be creaming their crackers over him.
Marcus has consistently been our best player and carried this team (along with Bruno) since his debut.
He had one bad season a few years ago where he was playing with multiple injury issues, and personal issues were also affecting his game and certain factions in the support have never forgiven him. Its pathetic.
It’s no wonder if he’s had enough, it’s been constant for years and it’s understandable if it’s ground him down.
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But he wouldn't get a shot with City if he played the way does with us - it's like saying we'd be yearning for Harry Maguire if he played for city. He's already had one abysmal season (2021-22) and is well on his way to having another one. He's had 1.5 truly class seasons (the first half of 2019-20 and last year, although you could argue that he was below par for a significant stretch of last season.) The rest, excluding the aforementioned abysmal ones, have been either promising (his first few seasons) or maddeningly inconsistent (the rest of them.) I'll always respect what he's done off the field but I'm sick of his half-assed efforts on the pitch coupled with the sulky, woe-is-me attitude.
 
Withnail said:
Again with the assumptions. I don't get irate over things like this. I think he's been a silly boy and it shows a lack of character and a poor mentality. I've no idea why you're reading so much emotion into my posts when there isn't any. And lay off the condescension it's tiresome.
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You’re not going to tell someone to do one if you’re not annoyed, you’re not on your own but having a negative reaction to one our own players scoring and doing a celebration is surely emotional. If he wants to celebrate and stick it to people that give him abuse that’s up to him, if you want to get annoyed at that then that’s up to you, though I’d say it likely lands you in the camp of people he was referencing with his celebration.
 
Dec9003 said:
You’re not going to tell someone to do one if you’re not annoyed, you’re not on your own but having a negative reaction to one our own players scoring and doing a celebration is surely emotional. If he wants to celebrate and stick it to people that give him abuse that’s up to him, if you want to get annoyed at that then that’s up to you, though I’d say it likely lands you in the camp of people he was referencing with his celebration.
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Ok mate. You read all sorts of nonsense into what I wrote and make assumptions about me and my opinions based on very little. I don't shit on Rashford on here so I told you if you were going to make assumptions about me you could do one. You can understand there's a difference between being 'irate' at Rashford and being slightly irritated by your post?

You seem to be arguing with someone other than me. You continue to make assumptions about me, double down with a ridiculous false equivalence as outlined above and beat your drum.

I can enjoy the goal and have an objective opinion that the celebration was silly. Much like Maguire didn't do himself any favours with the hands to the ears thing. Are you able to understand I can do all that and not be 'irate'?
 
Ten Hag has said, on numerous occasions, that Rashford has freedom up top and that he doesn't have to track back, we want him to stay up high. Which is fine. Now, that doesn't really excuse his lack of trying to win the ball back after losing it, which imo is a problem. Funnily enough, you often see him losing the ball and then you have Bruno or Højlund instantly putting pressure on the opposition while Rashford is standing still. I get that he isn't supposed to run all the way back to defence, but you do have a stretch where he really should be more aggressive without the ball, but perhaps that's only me.

Also, its fine that he was better than he has generally been this season, but it was hardly a good performance against Tottenham. Assist was pure luck, goal was good link between him and Højlund, followed by him being every bit as selfish as usual. Fortunately he didnt learn much after scoring…his selfish play and poor decision making is in no way whatsoever justified by his performances and stats, but if the majority are happy then so be it.
 
Toxic fanbase aside (possibly some truth) he was fantastic last season but there's always a sense that he'll never be the player we all want him to be. I think the same of Luke Shaw who simply can't string two top class seasons together where he performs at the very highest level (he's been here nine years). I can see the frustration of fans, especially when the club is playing elite level wages and wanting world class performances consistently.
 
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