[Classical Mechanic]

Neville was right that he needs to be dropped but there’s no one to drop him for.

 

[littlepeasoup]

Desperately needs to be dropped, but can't/won't be. It's a weird state of affairs. Goals come with confidence, but I do think his positioning is absolutely woeful at times, and it's so frustrating that he's not in the right areas when a cross comes in, or a shot is parried away. I do seriously question how he's being coached at this stage, because these are definitely issues that can be rectified.

I do think there's a decent player in there somewhere, but he's quickly becoming the poster boy of a very mediocre United team, and that's not a good place for the lad to be.

 

[Tosicsleftpeg]

Weird thing to say but not signing madzukic in the summer has really cost us. Even on a one year deal he would have been decent. And I can guarantee he's have scored 4 or 5 by now by just running into the box and meeting our players swing the ball at him.

I think in January we need to sign any striker we can get, is happily take an older player on a short term deal until we can address the position of striker permanently, rashford needs to be on the wing really where his pace can actually have an effect. At the moment he just does nothing.

 

[drdoityourself]

He never runs to the near post when James is crossing. Especially when James is on his weaker foot it really is the only place he is crossing to.

In other crossing instances he just is nowhere near the goal. I remember one, actually a good cross by Young, Greenwood ran on the near post, the cross came to the far post. Rashford just stood outside the box.

He just seems so different from the player who broke through here. He played simple, made runs and finished at a good tempo.
Now he tries too much, makes wrong runs and is never available in the box during the few times we actually get the ball into the area.

 

[AlwaysRed66]

I liked the comments from Souness & Redknapp when asked about Rashford at half time. Souness said he would assess him when he came on in the second half (meaning he was anonymous) & Redknapp said he was everyone where the ball wasn't. Summed up Rashford perfectly.

 

[Di Maria's angel]

It looked that way indeed but still the club's needs trumps what Lukaku wanted, Ole should have kept him or at least agreed to sell after a replacement was brought.

That would've have been wise. But that's something that wouldn't make sense for our club.

 

[JJ12]

You ever worked a job before?

feck that got to do with being manager of united.

No they don't decide how much the players earn. You can't be that naive.

 

[Born2Lose]

Spending far too much time with that wasteman Lingard hasn't helped.

Success at a young age and being thick is never a good combination.

He'll probably score a worldie against Liverpool and his utter crapness will be forgotten for another 9 months.

 

[groovyalbert]

Needs a break and isn't a number 9.

 

[Omahahaha]

Rashford and his new contract/untouchable status reminds me of me finding my old teacher on championship manager 01/02.
He was an average striker, but I would sign him up for Real Madrid to Barcelona and to other big clubs, while increasing his salary at every move.

Of course his value increased due to his important status as a first teamer of big clubs, after that he would refuse more reasonable clubs and salaries.

We have inflated his ego with giving him way too much playing time and importance, and then had to give him a contract reflecting a status that we tried to convince ourself that he had reached.
Solskjaers handling of Rashy is just historically bad, the naivety to get rid of Lukaku without a replacement was just shocking.

 

[Icemav]

He looks dreadful. A nothing player for us at the moment whose wages are higher than any player in the Liverpool squad. He looks like a kid without a position and we are paying him a fortune in his first season trying to play as a senior squad player.

Another area where we have displayed how badly the club is run. he is paid more than Salah, Mane, Van Dijk, Firmino etc etc etc

Sadly we are watching the club come crashing down and there is nobody to stop it.

 

[shamans]

@shamans This is what we were talking about on whatsapp. Making that simple run inside doesn't need to be taught, it doesn't particular coaching. Rashford is just clueless

Yeah fair enough. The problem with Rashford for me is even if he makes those runs in the box he'll never be good enough to actually get good at it. Doesn't have that goal poaching instinct to regularly score goals.

I think the not making the basic runs might be down to confidence.

 

[Heinzesight]

He’s just been found out. He’s piss easy to defend against coupled with shit movement and billy big balls syndrome. This ‘he’s not match fit’ shit is pathetic...he’s just not that great.

 

[Adam-Utd]

I always feared this would happen when Jose stuck him on the wing.

he’s forgotten how to play as a striker.

when he does play he’s almost a hybrid wide forward. All his runs take him down the channels but never bread and butter box movement.

 

[ayushreddevil9]

I always feared this would happen when Jose stuck him on the wing.

he’s forgotten how to play as a striker.

when he does play he’s almost a hybrid wide forward. All his runs take him down the channels but never bread and butter box movement.

Or maybe Jose realized that he wasn't an out and out forward? It's not always Jose's fault you know. The man was toxic, yes but his assessment of this squad was top notch.

 

[POF]

His lack of movement is the real frustration. It's not that he's playing poorly but that he's offering nothing at all. For 5 minutes after half time (obviously post rocket from Ole) he ran around a bit, pressing from the front but then reverted to type again.

Compare his movement with Aaron Connolly from Brighton. Tiny kid with nowhere near as much pace but was aggressive, constantly on the move and caused problems for much better defenders all game by giving his midfield players options. He has about 10% of Rashford's talent but attitude makes a major difference.

The major flaw in the plan to remove the bad attitudes and build around United academy players is that some of the worst attitudes at the club are from those academy players.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Or maybe Jose realized that he wasn't an out and out forward? It's not always Jose's fault you know. The man was toxic, yes but his assessment of this squad was top notch.

Wasn’t his type of forward maybe, but then don’t play him. We’ve stuck him out wide where he looks just as uncomfortable and now we’re stuck with a half and half player.

I’m not blaming Jose solely, but I fear we will make the same mistake with Greenwood just to try and get him minutes. No other clubs seem to do this? It’s very weird.

 

[POF]

Or maybe Jose realized that he wasn't an out and out forward? It's not always Jose's fault you know. The man was toxic, yes but his assessment of this squad was top notch.

Rashford has even come out recently and said he prefers to play wide than as a number 9. Never said it once though when Jose was getting hammered for "wasting him" out wide!

 

[Based Adnan]

Sad thing is with the contract he's been given and with him still being seen as the jewel of the academy in recent times his position in the squad is comfortable. From now until 2023 I suspect we will see a hell of a lot of an underperforming Rashford.

Not like we can sell him either with the money he's on and there would be outrage in the media should the hype product get benched for an extended period which would put needless pressure on the manager.

 

[Eyepopper]

He's 21, he should basically be occupying the role Greenwood does, up & coming back up attacker.

 

[SAFMUTD]

Id say bench him, but what option do we have?

We were left with such a thin squad that we have to keep starting him.

 

[Infordin]

I'm done with him. Most overrated talent we have ever witnessed.

That Mbappe thread will not age well

 

[Reiver]

Rashford has even come out recently and said he prefers to play wide than as a number 9. Never said it once though when Jose was getting hammered for "wasting him" out wide!

Good point. I think he "prefers" playing wide now because he realises he's not up to the task of being the main striker.

 

[calodo2003]

Welbeck MK2

Welbeck was actually useful. I would trade Rashford for Welbeck of the same age in a heartbeat.

 

[calodo2003]

Needs a coach to bring him back down to earth, realize he's not Neymar and simplyfy his game, focus on the assets he does have and hone them.

Seriously, though, what are his current assets?

 

[Eternitiy]

Welbeck was actually useful. I would trade Rashford for Welbeck of the same age in a heartbeat.

Welbeck was a far better player. Injuries have ruined his career, but I'm still livid van Gaal sold him.

He was so fun to watch in the 2011/2012 season playing with Rooney.

 

[POF]

Good point. I think he "prefers" playing wide now because he realises he's not up to the task of being the main striker.

It's clearly his best position. His movement is poor and hold up play is average so he thrives out wide where there is more space to use his pace.

The fact he never mentioned it under Jose is because he didn't want to discourage the "why is Jose wasting superstar striker Rashford by playing him out wide" narrative.

It's a squad of players with inflated egos, poor character and zero self awareness.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

His movement in the box is awful.

He can never sniff out the danger ball.

Terrible.

 

[Isotope]

Every time a cross coming in, he always position himself on the opposite side of the CB. What the actual feck a striker would do that, only hoping the CB to lose the crossing ball, instead of attacking it?

 

[Devil may care]

Seriously, though, what are his current assets?

,
He's very fast, agile and has a decent strike on him, he needs to be more direct and basic, and he needs to get some composure in the final 3rd.

 

[calodo2003]

,
He's very fast, agile and has a decent strike on him, he needs to be more direct and basic, and he needs to get some composure in the final 3rd.

The sheer lack / inability of your second & third phrases completely make for what he was known null & void.

It’s not a physical issue with him, it’s his mentality.

 

[sammsky1]

When OGS insulted Lukaku by making his ‘Rashy’ no 1 choice, he inadvertently propelled Lukaku onto better things while ruin the steady rise of Rashford.

Rashford is still very underdeveloped as a top footballer and probably won’t even make that grade. But by awarded him with an elite contract and undroppable status, we now have a super ego but whose talents can’t match.

 

[Marcus]

Disgrace to my name.

 

[hungrywing]

Good luck selling him.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

He has turned himself into Lukaku. Lack of movement. Better stick on the left or right. Not good enough in central.

 

[RedRonaldo]

He is becoming our new Sanchez, earning big contract but playing like a headless chicken every week, and did feck all.

 

[HowieC]

We need to stop saying he is talented but ... (insert criticism)

Its what blew up his ego. He isn’t good at dribbling, passing , heading, movement so what is he actually talented at?

He’s a pace merchant end of.

 

[Devil may care]

The sheer lack / inability of your second & third phrases completely make for what he was known null & void.

It’s not a physical issue with him, it’s his mentality.

I know, that's why I said he needs a coach that's going to bring him down to earth, not one that is going to pander to him.

 

[Seaman]

Shearer said this:
I feel sorry for Rashford. He's starting to despair in what's around him... that team is awful': Alan Shearer and Martin Keown concerned by striker's plight at struggling Manchester United

its amazing how predictable ex footballers are. Reminds me of Arsenal crisis where the English players never got any blame. Its always the foreigners who gets blamed

 

[calodo2003]

I know, that's why I said he needs a coach that's going to bring him down to earth, not one that is going to pander to him.

Don’t disagree with this comment, but I also don’t feel that the skill set he possesses is as elite as many of his backers do. It was partially ‘right place, right time’ for his contract increase, but he also flatters to deceive at times & his apologists often don’t run an objective ruler over him.

He desperately needed a loan one of the past two years to have been able to test his mettle as a true nine either solo or with another striker. It has been a bit unfair on him to have been foisted into this situation. Hopefully Martial will be back soon & Rashford will be pushed wide. Through the middle as a striker is not for him.