Could Rashford become United's all time goalscorer?

[DWelbz19]

Can We shut up when it comes into over hyping our own players?

Haven't We learned anything? Cleverley was to be the next Paul Scholes, Janujaz the next Ryan Giggs, Jones the next Duncan Edwards, the list goes on. Rashford is very, very good based on the last several matches. But let's not over hype him or any other players.

He’s very very good based on his entire career, not just the last few games.
——
He’s got a job here for life, but I don’t think he’ll do it. Should comfortably hit top 10, probably top 5.

 

[Maciej]

Their first four season at United:

Rooney_____________Rashford
__17___________________8
__19__________________.11
__23__________________.13
__18___________________9

By the way...

Do you remember how shit Rooney was in 2010/11 in terms of scoring goals? He scored 16 goals anyway. A number that Rashford hasn't matched yet.

 

[klsv]

Has to improve a lot if he's to get a sniff.

Also, this thread fills me with anxiety and fear of getting old.

 

[sullydnl]

Nope.

 

[BAMSOLA]

No he's not just a goal scorer and could end up creating just as many as he scores, for me he will end up more as a scorer of important goals than many goals ala Cantona (different players but could end up being similarly influential) he also probably moves into the channels to create for other too often to end up with huge numbers himself.

 

[Raw]

He might beat Giggsy's appearance tally though, already played 150 games and barely turned 21 last September.

Well Rashford would need another 813 appearances. If he made ~50 appearances a season it would take him 16 years from now. I doubt Rashford would play until he's 37, unless he does what Giggs did and plays a deeper role.

 

[RedStarUnited]

Im probably alone in thinking Rooney should have got the record way before he did. If Rashford stays with us for a decade as a main striker, it would be disappointing if he doesnt break it.

 

[red thru&thru]

Yes.

 

[TsuWave]

Their first four season at United:

Rooney_____________Rashford
__17___________________8
__19__________________.11
__23__________________.13
__18___________________9

By the way...

Do you remember how shit Rooney was in 2010/11 in terms of scoring goals? He scored 16 goals anyway. A number that Rashford hasn't matched yet.

to be fair, we were still the dominant force when Rooney was bagging them numbers, and the rest of the league hadn't caught up like they have now, also Rashford has, for most of his time in the first team, been used wide and fighting for a place with Martial, he's just now cemented his first team spot. I expect him to start getting betting numbers from now on, especially if he's gonna be main striker (with lukaku relegated to bench)

 

[paulscholes18]

As long as we get an attacking manager that makes Rashford his no9, then it be down to Rashford to become close to a 3 in 5 Striker

 

[NinjaZombie]

Can We shut up when it comes into over hyping our own players?

Haven't We learned anything? Cleverley was to be the next Paul Scholes, Janujaz the next Ryan Giggs, Jones the next Duncan Edwards, the list goes on. Rashford is very, very good based on the last several matches. But let's not over hype him or any other players.

I get the sentiment, but beats bitching about players and generally being a negative Nancy on the forums. God forbid some of us try to actually enjoy ourselves in positivity.

 

[pierrethesnack]

Cannot see it happening. I actually think that going forward he will have more an "Ole role" rather than being our main striker.

What makes you say that? You don't think he's good enough to be a regular starter for us?

 

[Vfc_brato]

I think he can. Lot of potential but he needs a mature group of players not twitter ones.

 

[Revan]

What makes you say that? You don't think he's good enough to be a regular starter for us?

I think that he is very good, but I am not sure that he'll be an undisputed first choice, especially if we go for a top calibre striker like Icardi or so.

 

[pierrethesnack]

I think that he is very good, but I am not sure that he'll be an undisputed first choice, especially if we go for a top calibre striker like Icardi or so.

Fair enough, might well be true.

 

[Marcelinho87]

...dropping deep didn't seem to bother Rooney, who, let's face it, was never as natural an catheter as Rashford.

No you're right and Rashford is a better athlete than Rooney. My only reasoning for not wanting him to do it is he seems to tire around the 60th mark and starts taking random pop shots and wiping people out.

I would like him to take advantage of tired legs not become one and if he reserves his energy he could be deadly in the last 20 minutes.

 

[GailSpaceWynand]

Was he? I think Rooney was more precocious (developed earlier), but i'm not entirely convinced he was a bigger talent than Rashford, I mean, Rashford seems better to me technically (dribbling, skills, ability to beat defenders), Rashford seems faster too, Rooney was probably a better finisher but still

(for transparency purposes, i never thought rooney was an amazing player and think media overhyped his talents, especially early on, i do recognise him as one of our greats though)

Rooney was dubbed the next best thing (in the world, not just England or United). I don't think you remember 18 year old Rooney or even the Everton one - he was more talented at 18 than CR7. Rashford doesn't hold a candle to what Rooney could do, however it doesn't matter. Attitude/mentality/hard work is waaay more important than being a talented footballer.

Can we reach those numbers? Yes, definitely.

 

[Obi-Red-Kenobi]

History will define Rashford, as a very good forward with pace, who nicks in with a few goals, but he is not as clinical as he needs to be to be in that league. He’s is 21, and at 21, he should be pushing 20 goals a season, before shifting up to 30 at his peak.

I don’t believe he has scored double figures in the league yet, but I might be wrong.

 

[SoCross]

...dropping deep didn't seem to bother Rooney, who, let's face it, was never as natural an catheter as Rashford.

Taking the meaning of a surgical finisher to another level...

 

[pierrethesnack]

History will define Rashford, as a very good forward with pace, who nicks in with a few goals, but he is not as clinical as he needs to be to be in that league. He’s is 21, and at 21, he should be pushing 20 goals a season, before shifting up to 30 at his peak.

That's some serious expectations for a 21 year old player in a team which has been struggling for several years.

 

[Obi-Red-Kenobi]

That's some serious expectations for a 21 year old player in a team which has been struggling for several years.

Maybe, but many players in the Premier League era were scoring 20 goals a season at his age, and if he wants to be your top scorer, he will have to start doing that. To be fair, he might even do it this season.

 

[TsuWave]

Rooney was dubbed the next best thing (in the world, not just England or United). I don't think you remember 18 year old Rooney or even the Everton one - he was more talented at 18 than CR7.

I know what Rooney was dubbed, hence me saying he was overhyped. Rooney more talented than Ronaldo has never ever been true, like at any point, at all. And if you thought so back then, you were wrong (and not just in hindsight).

 

[harms]

Was he? I think Rooney was more precocious (developed earlier), but i'm not entirely convinced he was a bigger talent than Rashford, I mean, Rashford seems better to me technically (dribbling, skills, ability to beat defenders), Rashford seems faster too, Rooney was probably a better finisher but still

(for transparency purposes, i never thought rooney was an amazing player and think media overhyped his talents, especially early on, i do recognise him as one of our greats though)

To each their own. For me Rooney was one of the most impressive teenagers that I’ve ever seen — closer to Mbappé than to Rashford. Not quite like the original Ronaldo, but comfortably in the next tier.

 

[GailSpaceWynand]

Rooney more talented than Ronaldo has never ever been true, like at any point, at all. And if you thought so back then, you were wrong (and not just in hindsight).

How old are you?

 

[GailSpaceWynand]

To each their own. For me Rooney was one of the most impressive teenagers that I’ve ever seen — closer to Mbappé than to Rashford. Not quite like the original Ronaldo, but comfortably in the next tier.

Ronaldo (Brazilian) was a freak - honestly haven't seen anyone that young being so complete, the things he could do - god! That Barca season was the best individual season from a youngster I've seen in a long time.

 

[Tarrou]

The biggest difficulty is obviously staying our main striker for an entire decade. There are all sorts of factors working against him in that regard.

If he did manage to stay as the main striker for all that time, he'd have a great chance.

 

[Drainy]

I know what Rooney was dubbed, hence me saying he was overhyped. Rooney more talented than Ronaldo has never ever been true, like at any point, at all. And if you thought so back then, you were wrong (and not just in hindsight).

People conflate talent with current level of performance.

Rooney at 18-21 was a better player than Ronaldo because he was a much more mature footballer- his physical and mental skills were more advanced. They are attributes that if you already have at a high level, you don't make as large gains as you get older- in my opinion.

Ronaldo had all the talent in the world but needed to improve his application and fill out in his frame more, which he did by a lot, and surpassed Rooney leaving him behind.

 

[TsuWave]

How old are you?

I'm 28, and funny enough I resided in Portugal when Ronaldo broke through Sporting (a lot of peo, and when United bought him. This isn't a "you are too young" or "you were not familiar with them then" scenario. If you watched them play then and thought Rooney was more talented then it just goes to show how much or how far the British ideal of talent differs from other places. Ronaldo was an electrifying talent, one of the most natural gifted players at that age, thinking Rooney was more talented then is just as wrong and as laughable as when people try to make it seem Ronaldo is/was "all hard-work", imo. And again, I'm well aware of what Rooney was dubbed to be, and how people thought Ronaldo was inconsistent or a showboating merchant, I have just held my views for a very long time.

 

[charlenefan]

Anyone know how many appearances Giggs had at Rashford's age? I don't think he'll become our all time leading scorer he may however have a better chance at being our all time appearance maker

 

[harms]

Ronaldo (Brazilian) was a freak - honestly haven't seen anyone that young being so complete, the things he could do - god! That Barca season was the best I've seen in a long time.

Yeah, he is still (comfortably) the best youngster that I’ve seen. Pelé was probably his equal, but I’ve only seen a handful of games from 1958 World Cup, so it’s hard to compare them.

 

[GailSpaceWynand]

I'm 28, and funny enough I resided in Portugal when Ronaldo broke through Sporting and when United bought him. This isn't a "you are too young" or "you were not familiar with them then" scenario. If you watched them play then and thought Rooney was more talented then it just goes to show how much or how far the British ideal of talent differs from other places. Ronaldo was an electrifying talent, one of the most natural gifted players at that age, thinking Rooney was more talented then is just as wrong and as laughable as when people try to make it seem Ronaldo is/was "all hard-work", imo. And again, I'm well aware of what Rooney was dubbed to be, and how people thought Ronaldo was inconsistent or a showboating merchant.

But.. I'm not British/English and I happen to be a big fan of Ronaldo (I have had aggressive debates with my mates about this). I actually thought Rooney was a better footballer than Ronaldo (2004-05) - that's just my opinion - how their actual careers spanned out obviously differs but it is certainly not laughable. At 18, hardwork/attitude is what was held AGAINST Ronaldo so I'm not the one making that argument. Anyway, to each its own - cheers. (Also, I think we are derailing the thread a wee bit)

 

[harms]

Anyone know how many appearances Giggs had at Rashford's age? I don't think he'll become our all time leading scorer he may however have a better chance at being our all time appearance maker

157 before the beginning of 94/95 season when he turned 21.

 

[Abizzz]

I'm 28, and funny enough I resided in Portugal when Ronaldo broke through Sporting (a lot of peo, and when United bought him. This isn't a "you are too young" or "you were not familiar with them then" scenario. If you watched them play then and thought Rooney was more talented then it just goes to show how much or how far the British ideal of talent differs from other places. Ronaldo was an electrifying talent, one of the most natural gifted players at that age, thinking Rooney was more talented then is just as wrong and as laughable as when people try to make it seem Ronaldo is/was "all hard-work", imo. And again, I'm well aware of what Rooney was dubbed to be, and how people thought Ronaldo was inconsistent or a showboating merchant, I have just held my views for a very long time.

I don't live in Britain and I thought Rooney was more talented at the very beginning. The force that was Wayne Rooney is often forgotten on here, he was way more effective in his younger years than Ronaldo. Ronaldo had always been the superior dribbler, but in shooting technique Rooney was second to none. Rooney also had much better instinct to be in the right spots at a young age (credit to Ronaldo for developing it, like so many things, over his career, something only very few players manage to learn).

 

[Dante]

Their first four season at United:

Rooney_____________Rashford
__17___________________8
__19__________________.11
__23__________________.13
__18___________________9

By the way...

Do you remember how shit Rooney was in 2010/11 in terms of scoring goals? He scored 16 goals anyway. A number that Rashford hasn't matched yet.

Rooney and Rashford were both born in October. So comparisons by year should be fairly linear.

By this point in Rooney's career (21 years and 3 months, after 22 games played in the PL season), he'd scored 46 total goals for United mainly as a starter off Ruud.

By the same point for Rashford (21 years and 3 months, after 22 games played in the PL season), he's scored 41 total goals for United with lots of appearances off the bench and mostly playing off the wing.

There's not a lot of difference.

But if we look at their respective physiques, it's easy to see that Rooney matured freakishly quickly and went on to decline just as fast.

By contrast, Rashford had a growth spurt only one year ago (3 cm in the space of 13 months according to Jose in July 2017), and looks to be a much more natural athlete.

For goals, Rashford needs to match season-by-season:
now-2019 13
2019/20 18
2020/21 20
2021/22 34
2022/23 16
2023/24 34
2024/25 16
2025/26 19
2026/27 14
2027/28 15
2028/29 8

That takes Rashford up to the age of 31, averaging 19.4 goals per season (about 1 in every 3 games). Two seasons aside, Rooney wasn't ever at Ronaldo/Messi numbers.

That's not a super high average considering Rashford's decline is likely to come later that Rooney's.

I don't want to get into the debate about whether he'll be as good a player as Rooney, but goals-wise he's off to a brilliant start and the total is achievable with a realistic amount of luck.

A big factor could be wrenching penalty duty away from Pogba. Rooney got 27 for United. That's a huge number.

 

[TsuWave]

But.. I'm not British/English and I happen to be a big fan of Ronaldo (I have had aggressive debates with my mates about this). I actually thought Rooney was a better footballer than Ronaldo (2004-05) - that's just my opinion - how their actual careers spanned out obviously differs but it is certainly not laughable. At 18, hardwork/attitude is what was held AGAINST Ronaldo so I'm not the one making that argument. Anyway, to each its own - cheers. (Also, I think we are derailing the thread a wee bit)

back home (england), Rooney was dubbed the next best thing, as you have already stated, but I never thought of him as such. When I lived in Portugal, we were having debates about Quaresma vs Ronaldo (with most of my friends leaning towards quaresma), we preferred "flair" type players, and the most technically gifted were labeled the most talented so that my go some way at explaining my stance. and yeah, I apologise for the derailing.

 

[DBT85]

If rashford can bang in league goals with some decent regularity then he has a chance. Rooney for as good as he was he actually only had 2 seasons for us where he scored more than 17 league goals.

Given the teams he played in its not hard to have expected better than that even if the teams scored lots of goals from all over.

It'll all depend on how long rash plays for and how long he retains his place in the team and how long we play well for.

 

[Raoul]

I see Rashford as more in the Darren Bent category in terms of scoring...where over an entire career he occasionally gets 20+ goals in a season but can't do it with any degree of consistency enough to ever approaching Rooney's record. Rooney averaged 20 goals a year over an entire decade, which I can't see Rashford doing.

 

[B20]

Was he? I think Rooney was more precocious (developed earlier), but i'm not entirely convinced he was a bigger talent than Rashford, I mean, Rashford seems better to me technically (dribbling, skills, ability to beat defenders), Rashford seems faster too, Rooney was probably a better finisher but still

Ú wòt m&

 

[B20]

Maybe, but many players in the Premier League era were scoring 20 goals a season at his age, and if he wants to be your top scorer, he will have to start doing that. To be fair, he might even do it this season.

Lineker was playing in Leicesters reserves at that age. Owen was peaking at the same age. It's not a linear thing

 

[RyRy11]

He's got to become a 20+ a season striker in order for that to happen, its not impossible.