The genius of Marcus Rashford

Should be focusing on performing and shutting people up on the field instead

Marcus said:

I think he was focused on the drinking episode. I think we have moved on from that. The bigger problem is his effort on the pitch. Is he being instructed to save his energy to attack? If so, I have nothing to say. If he is supposed to press and track back when we lose possession and he doesn't, he is a fool for not realising his own failings.

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True, but it would be on Ten Hag too.
If a player doesn't obey to instructions from the coaching staff than it's on the coaching staff to bench that player.

sugar_kane said:

They sing his name every game, I don't think that's the problem. The fans might groan from time to time but they'd never actively turn on a homegrown player like Rashford.



I actually found it fairly refreshing to see him talk like a human to camera, everything around him normally feels so stage managed.

Not saying he should have done this whole piece (I'm of the opposite opinion) but I liked this aspect at least.

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It's literally a stage managed interview, isn't it?

Ludens the Red said:

He’s lost touch with reality the lad.
Now let’s cut through it, Pushing the whole rag to riches story and a challenging upbringing at a time when a lot of people are massively struggling for so many reasons. Just smacks of a lack self awareness. Is he expecting a load of sympathy? You got four buses to football?
Well so did I and many other people who still didn’t end up making it.
This is the first time in his career where he’s actually been criticised by the media/pundits for his performances and this is the reaction. This is the problem when you surround yourself with yes men for years. This is the problem when you prioritise your image, partying and the lifestyle of being a footballer as opposed to trying to be an actual footballer.
The insinuation that the criticism stems from jewellery and tattoos or anything else is a complete red herring. It is all down to Marcus Rashford playing like absolute shit for several months, walking around the pitch and being outperformed by teenagers.
I 95% wanted him gone in the summer before this PR release. That’s now turned to 100%.

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That's the part that bothers me the most. He's trying to push a false narrative instead of looking at his own performance. I don't think someone with that state of mind will ever be able to reach his full potential.

“genius” and ”Rashford” in the same sentence

Maybe I'm wrong but I don't get the impression he's pointing fingers at us fans and moreso media figures for what he perceives as being overly critical (insinuating too that it's partly his background that could be part of the reason for the criticism). He's obviously telling the truth about his background for how he came to be a Manchester United player and how much it means to him - anyone that doubts any of that can infer from 'other clubs' (clearly certain blue ones) attempting to poach him from our ranks the loyalty it took to have said no even though it would mean getting out of poverty.

So it's hard to not buy in to what he's saying - except for that he needs to realise that very few fans care about any of that, literally all the majority of us want is for Manchester United to play good football and win games, and all the rest of this just goes away. Trying to move the blame to external factors, while understandable, doesn't help anything other than to maybe hope to buy some patience from a fanbase who's own is wearing really, really thin when we are watching these multimillionaires lose to journeymen footballers from Turkey, Copenhagen, and lately Fulham.

I'm not one of those that blames Rashford for our performances personally, he's carried us enough in the past to shut many people up, scored multiple times against City, Liverpool, Barcelona, and PSG, and think there's a brilliant footballer in there and good guy - but these blowouts lately in Ireland and shagging around etc don't help him endear himself to us and frankly I understand exactly why people in this very thread have lost their patience.

Someone said:

That's the part that bothers me the most. He's trying to push a false narrative instead of looking at his own performance. I don't think someone with that state of mind will ever be able to reach his full potential.

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There's no introspection, no ownership. The problem is ego and we have all helped build it. He only has to not embarrass himself for the opening 15 minutes of any match, make one back-track attempt and it's "he was world class today". We're all the blame. His name should echo through ages as a warning about what happens when a young player is treated like a God without it ever really being justified.

redcucumber said:

It's an odd thing to put out right now though, given the very public conversation about his lack of effort in games. All he had to do was work harder in games and people would shut up. Instead he went the let's get a production team together and film me while I talk about all the lies and clout chasers. It's fecking dumb as feck.

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Agree, it's an insult to the fans. Him saying, how can anyone question my loyalty? We see him in matches not trying. Their a good few videos of him not making an effort. He should explain them videos before releasing this social media nonsense.

Red Regista said:

It still doesn't explain though why he can't seem to get arsed to run/ fight/ tackle/ care on the pitch.

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Because the PR team did not get selected in the playing XI.

Regulus Arcturus Black said:

Ha ha, my God Nani would’ve been absolutely detested by these lot.

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Very true. So many players like the Nevilles, park, Nani, berb, Valencia, fletcher were heavily criticized during their united careers but look back now fondly.

sugar_kane said:

They sing his name every game, I don't think that's the problem. The fans might groan from time to time but they'd never actively turn on a homegrown player like Rashford.



I actually found it fairly refreshing to see him talk like a human to camera, everything around him normally feels so stage managed.

Not saying he should have done this whole piece (I'm of the opposite opinion) but I liked this aspect at least.

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Ye I liked to see that too, seeing him say it is very different to words on a page and I absolutely believe him when he says he's committed to the cause, loves the club etc.

But clearly there is something missing on the pitch compared to last season. I put this more down to lack of confidence and mental struggles rather than a lack of desire or effort.

He was actually starting to play a lot better on the left in last couple of months but now the Hojlund injury (and ridiculous situation of having only 1 proper striker at the club) puts him out of position and we are back to square one.

Rood said:

Ye I liked to see that too, seeing him say it is very different to words on a page and I absolutely believe him when he says he's committed to the cause, loves the club etc.

But clearly there is something missing on the pitch compared to last season. I put this more down to lack of confidence and mental struggles rather than a lack of desire or effort.

He was actually starting to play a lot better on the left in last couple of months but now the Hojlund injury (and ridiculous situation of having only 1 proper striker at the club) puts him out of position and we are back to square one.

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A lot better? really?

NotChatGPT said:

A lot better? really?

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Yes

NotChatGPT said:

A lot better? really?

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Yeah 2/10 to 4/10

He does himself no favours with things like this, it shows even more how far away he is from understanding what he needs to do.

I can sum it up in one sentence for you Marcus:

Shut up, leave it all on the pitch and STOP MOANING!

He makes growing up and playing for your boyhood club whilst earning millions seem like the worst job in the world.
I'm glad I didn't go this route.

Rood said:

Yes

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Based on what?

What was that game where their keeper spilled the ball, and the genius could not be arsed to run to compete for it? Then he goes on the piss. He thinks he’s a superstar. I don’t agree with ‘lots of the team not playing well’ line. Bruno gives his all. Dalot, too. Eriksen is a great pro. Harry does his living best. Rashford is a throwback to the Lingard, Pogba axis of prissy, entitled, posers, all about themselves and their image on social media. He’s a sickness the club need cutting out.

Rauður Djöfull said:

Should be focusing on performing and shutting people up on the field instead

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Agree. Pathetic interview.

Just get on with playing well.

If he put as much effort into actually playing as he and his "team" have put into creating this hogwash, then him and his "team" wouldn't have had to put any effort into creating this hogwash!

And for those who question the supposed hatred in here for him I say this, there is no hatred for Marcus because nobody knows him. He may well be a genuinely nice lad who's good company and loves his Nan and Mum etc. Nobody knows and nobody hates him.

What people are rightly furious about is the distinct impression that he's, at most, going through the motions on the pitch when we need everybody to stand up and be counted in each and every match.

People are also rightly angry that this lack of effort coincides with a period immediately post the signing of a hugely lucrative contract earned on the back of last season's efforts.

Add in the apparent party after the city game and the Belfast shenanagins and you can see why a lot of people are sick of what they see with their own eyes on the pitch.

Couple it with this PR embarrassment and the anger is understandable.

amolbhatia50k said:

Yeah 2/10 to 4/10

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Id say more like 4/10 to 6.5/10

Still way off his best obviously but there was clear improvement from a dire first half of the season including a few G+A in last couple of months

It really doesn't do Marcus any favours as a man being paid £350,000 per week to do a job he reputedly loves, to come out (in public at least) with any sort of 'moaning'.

"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen"*
* attributed to Harry S. Truman (1942)

Rood said:

Id say more like 4/10 to 6.5/10

Still way off his best obviously but there was clear improvement from a dire first half of the season including a few G+A in last couple of months

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Absolutely not.

He has been playing the same way the entire time.

He will always get chances for goals and assists, because our main tactic is letting Bruno constantly feed him.

But he is exactly the same player he always was, no worse or better.

Last year he scored a lot, which is good and can't be understated. But he never PLAYED well. He really never plays well. He's a one-dimensional footballer specifically only useful for one type of tactic; playing on the counter with endless balls in behind defenders. Or in other words; Games in which we concede all control.

And that might give him anywhere between 5-30 goals a season (His normal level is more like 10+ goals a season), but it will never be a sustainable and predictable way of playing to dominate games and challenge for a 38-game league title.

Outcome bias makes a lot of people think his goals masks his overall performance. But all it does is ensure we never have the chance to dominate possession and dictate the tempo. And that is the only way we can reliably become a league challenger.

Rashford is a technical and tactical liability.

Same goes for Bruno.

Maticmaker said:

It really doesn't do Marcus any favours as a man being paid £350,000 per week to do a job he reputedly loves, to come out (in public at least) with any sort of 'moaning'.

"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen"*
* attributed to Harry S. Truman (1942)

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I tend to agree.

I do think some of the criticism is over the top but at the same time he is one of the few academy grads who was given as much game time as he has despite underperforming in many of them. It also speaks to the much higher expectations people have for him because we know he can do (much) better.

I really wish whoever advises some of these players to keep their head down in the media with regards to making those types of comments he has. Even if he feels he is being singled out unfairly, adding fuel to the fire can only backfire imho. What it also tells me is that its probably time to move on. Not unlike an employee who sees boogyman everywhere after being with the same employer for a while. That neither helps him, nor us.

Im sorry but you cant come out crying about people questioning your commitment, after going out and performing in the manner he has this season. He genuinely looks like he couldnt give a monkeys most of the time.. Any commitment criticism is more than warranted.

Silly timing for him too, as now on sunday (after those comments) he's going to be scrutinised big time on his commitment/ effort levels, and if he does the same as hes done most of the rest of the season and walk around like he might as well be smoking a fag, he's in for an absolute tanking by the media & fans.

Did Rashford call out The United stand?

Marcus said:

I think he was focused on the drinking episode. I think we have moved on from that. The bigger problem is his effort on the pitch. Is he being instructed to save his energy to attack? If so, I have nothing to say. If he is supposed to press and track back when we lose possession and he doesn't, he is a fool for not realising his own failings.

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Why hasn't there been a single media outlet asking such a simple question ?

Marcus said:

I think he was focused on the drinking episode. I think we have moved on from that. The bigger problem is his effort on the pitch. Is he being instructed to save his energy to attack? If so, I have nothing to say. If he is supposed to press and track back when we lose possession and he doesn't, he is a fool for not realising his own failings.

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There is absolutely no chance of that. ETH is all about the collective. Almost all coaches are. The only coaches who make allowances like that are the ones who have a generational superstar in their team like a Messi or a Cristiano. That was one of Pogba's problems, he liked to compare himself to Messi and said "look, he doesn't run all the time, why are you bothering me". I don't think Rashford is as arrogant, I just think he doesn't fancy working his ass off and he's not used to it and already 26. Compared to someone like Welbeck who played essentially the same role, attacking from the left, it is night and day in terms of team work. Rashford is on par with Martial in terms of work off the ball. And it simply doesn't work for a team that wants to press from the front. But his goal tally last season and our lack of depth is the reason he is persisted with.

Bastian said:

(...) I don't think Rashford is as arrogant, I just think he doesn't fancy working his ass off and he's not used to it and already 26.(...)

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Yeah... there was a moment Rashford lost the ball Vs Notts Forest, I think in the first half near the end and I thought - "right, what are you going to do now" and you could SEE he hesitated for a second, before he thought "I better make an effort" and he ran back and harassed the Forest players as they were making a break away. So maybe something's starting to click there, but it's definitely not a natural trait for him.

I'll believe him when I see him contest for a header

GazTheLegend said:

Yeah... there was a moment Rashford lost the ball Vs Notts Forest, I think in the first half near the end and I thought - "right, what are you going to do now" and you could SEE he hesitated for a second, before he thought "I better make an effort" and he ran back and harassed the Forest players as they were making a break away. So maybe something's starting to click there, but it's definitely not a natural trait for him.

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Yeah, he's visibly working harder since the Belfast thing (though there are still plenty of times he doesn't bother, like the Barkley one). Would have been nice if he just continued to apply that higher level of workrate and plugged away at getting out of this wretched form instead of trying that for a couple of weeks then jumping into this interview to play the victim.

Have the right wing media had a target painted on him since his charity work stuff, waiting for him to put a foot wrong? Yes. Do they print lies/assumptions/half truths about him? Yes, but they do about pretty much every high profile celebrity. Have the papers caused him to look and play like he flat out can't be arsed being on a football pitch multiple times? No.

ColvaleGoa said:

Did Rashford call out The United stand?

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He did, which makes that part of his statement about taking criticism laughable.

Wilt said:

“genius” and ”Rashford” in the same sentence

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I was thinking the same

clarkydaz said:

He did, which makes that part of his statement about taking criticism laughable.

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Not really, he shouldn't acknowledge that channel, but all it does it shit on our club for views.

mintyred said:

Not really, he shouldn't acknowledge that channel, but all it does it shit on our club for views.

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But he did, so his statement is false

ifightdragons said:

Absolutely not.

He has been playing the same way the entire time.

He will always get chances for goals and assists, because our main tactic is letting Bruno constantly feed him.

But he is exactly the same player he always was, no worse or better.

Last year he scored a lot, which is good and can't be understated. But he never PLAYED well. He really never plays well. He's a one-dimensional footballer specifically only useful for one type of tactic; playing on the counter with endless balls in behind defenders. Or in other words; Games in which we concede all control.

And that might give him anywhere between 5-30 goals a season (His normal level is more like 10+ goals a season), but it will never be a sustainable and predictable way of playing to dominate games and challenge for a 38-game league title.

Outcome bias makes a lot of people think his goals masks his overall performance. But all it does is ensure we never have the chance to dominate possession and dictate the tempo. And that is the only way we can reliably become a league challenger.

Rashford is a technical and tactical liability.

Same goes for Bruno.

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Dont agree at all - he was awful in the first part of the season but was playing significantly better in the last couple months before the 2 matches upfront where he's done a pretty good Martial impression

and by the way, Rashford has scored more than 10 goals every full season hes played including 21,22 and 30 goal seasons so that's just plainly wrong to suggest his norm is around 10

Rood said:

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I realise that this won't change any minds for those who don't like him, but I thought it was a good read.

He's clearly letting the criticism get to him though, the best players just block out the noise and roll on regardless.

I never questioned his commitment to the club but clearly something is not right mentally for him at the moment, just hope he can push through it.

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I actually enjoyed reading that. I'm just not really sure what point it was trying to make.

Please don't question my commitment to the club - I'm not sure anyone that matters has? It's more people questioning how a player can go from 30 goals a season to 5...and then the first thing inevitably that gets picked up will be things like not working as hard as other players, or driving around in a flashier car, or whether the player is unhappy.

We all know that this has been a club in transition the last few seasons. When we are winning, you are the greatest fans in the world, and that’s a fact. We need more of that old-school positive energy around the club. I know what that kind of atmosphere can do, because it kept me going through my worst moments. Every time I walk out onto the pitch and I hear the fans singing my name, or I look around Old Trafford before kickoff, I feel that same positive energy

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This is the bit I wish people on here would listen to.

I don't think criticising a player is a problem but the online element of our fanbase is probably the most toxic in the world and invariably cant differentiate criticism from childish abuse. Most of our players are more hated/shat on by our fans than rival teams.

Some of the stuff on here about Maguire earlier in the season for example was utterly embarrassing. It wasn't one or two people either it's a majority en masse. And you can apply the same to some of what's been directed at Rashford, Fernandes, Antony, Casemiro, Onana, Mctominay, Ten Hag, etc. Etc.

Criticism might not affect a player but it's hard to see how constant dogs abuse from the people who are meant to be supporting them wouldn't. It obviously would and obviously does.

ifightdragons said:

Absolutely not.

He has been playing the same way the entire time.

He will always get chances for goals and assists, because our main tactic is letting Bruno constantly feed him.

But he is exactly the same player he always was, no worse or better.

Last year he scored a lot, which is good and can't be understated. But he never PLAYED well. He really never plays well. He's a one-dimensional footballer specifically only useful for one type of tactic; playing on the counter with endless balls in behind defenders. Or in other words; Games in which we concede all control.

And that might give him anywhere between 5-30 goals a season (His normal level is more like 10+ goals a season), but it will never be a sustainable and predictable way of playing to dominate games and challenge for a 38-game league title.

Outcome bias makes a lot of people think his goals masks his overall performance. But all it does is ensure we never have the chance to dominate possession and dictate the tempo. And that is the only way we can reliably become a league challenger.

Rashford is a technical and tactical liability.

Same goes for Bruno.

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Horrendous take, there were many games Rashford played well last season, before he went on his goalscoring form towards the new year he was playing well but missing various chances. It's when Weghorst came that the teams performances began to take a nosedive but he held up play and dropped into midfield so fans were impressed on that basis.

noodlehair said:

I actually enjoyed reading that. I'm just not really sure what point it was trying to make.

Please don't question my commitment to the club - I'm not sure anyone that matters has? It's more people questioning how a player can go from 30 goals a season to 5...and then the first thing inevitably that gets picked up will be things like not working as hard as other players, or driving around in a flashier car, or whether the player is unhappy.



This is the bit I wish people on here would listen to.

I don't think criticising a player is a problem but the online element of our fanbase is probably the most toxic in the world and invariably cant differentiate criticism from childish abuse. Most of our players are more hated/shat on by our fans than rival teams.

Some of the stuff on here about Maguire earlier in the season for example was utterly embarrassing. It wasn't one or two people either it's a majority en masse. And you can apply the same to some of what's been directed at Rashford, Fernandes, Antony, Casemiro, Onana, Mctominay, Ten Hag, etc. Etc.

Criticism might not affect a player but it's hard to see how constant dogs abuse from the people who are meant to be supporting them wouldn't. It obviously would and obviously does.

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Shut off their social media maybe?? That is easier than asking thousands of a-holes to change their ways.

noodlehair said:

I actually enjoyed reading that. I'm just not really sure what point it was trying to make.

Please don't question my commitment to the club - I'm not sure anyone that matters has? It's more people questioning how a player can go from 30 goals a season to 5...and then the first thing inevitably that gets picked up will be things like not working as hard as other players, or driving around in a flashier car, or whether the player is unhappy.



This is the bit I wish people on here would listen to.

I don't think criticising a player is a problem but the online element of our fanbase is probably the most toxic in the world and invariably cant differentiate criticism from childish abuse. Most of our players are more hated/shat on by our fans than rival teams.

Some of the stuff on here about Maguire earlier in the season for example was utterly embarrassing. It wasn't one or two people either it's a majority en masse. And you can apply the same to some of what's been directed at Rashford, Fernandes, Antony, Casemiro, Onana, Mctominay, Ten Hag, etc. Etc.

Criticism might not affect a player but it's hard to see how constant dogs abuse from the people who are meant to be supporting them wouldn't. It obviously would and obviously does.

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There's a video interview as well if you havent seen it

I guess his point is just that he is still committed to the club and trying to get back to his best form - you do see a lot of fans and even some pundits questioning that, including loads in this thread.
Whether there is any point in him actually saying this is questionable because I doubt anyone is going to change their minds due to this, in fact the morons throwing around abuse are more likely to double down with the whole PRashford crap.

Totally agree with you on all the idiotic toxic abuse nowadays. Some players do seem pretty immune to it all though whereas others like Rashford clearly let it get to them and it ends up affecting their performances.
Fergie used to tell players to just avoid reading the papers but nowadays I suppose it's unavoidable, still Rashford would do well to completely ignore social media comments and all that crap.