He is 20. Striker long term.
It's the want to challenge to head the ball first, his technique can be worked on once he stops sucking his thumb and "has a go at it!"
He will be a center forward
People on this forum are stupid. He is 19. He's under pressure to be creating and scoring goals for a defensive side who's coach is known to abandon the attack to its own devices. He was banging in the goals earlier this season - a patch of bad form and you trolls compare him to Welbeck.
And yet he has featured in every game we have played. Odd way to hamper a young limited players development.
Right now he does not deserve the sqaud status afforded to him.
Age is irrelevant when afforded a 1st XI key member status.
Judge him on his contributions and performances.
He'll play the majority of his career as a striker. I don't think it will be at United.
Striker.
I'm starting to wonder how much he has benefited from all these matches on the wings. Would he have developed better had we used him exclusively as a striker or loaned him to a team where he would play upfront every week? Who knows I guess.
I'm starting to wonder how much he has benefited from all these matches on the wings. Would he have developed better had we used him exclusively as a striker or loaned him to a team where he would play upfront every week? Who knows I guess.
He's a quality prospect who is stalling because he isn't getting the game time he needs in his position of choice as a center forward. Mourinho's bizarre infatuation with incorporating an over the hill Zlatan and an allergy to squad rotation are not helping.
He should be loaned out, to play more games as a striker, next season.
He'll be a forward... I think he'd actually thrive playing in the same sort of system to how we played against Everton.
Unfortunately, he was a forward against Southampton and we tried to play as if he was Lukaku. He won't be that sort of player.
Unfortunately, he was a forward against Southampton and we tried to play as if he was Lukaku. He won't be that sort of player.
Rashford 9 goals and 5 assists, lukaku 14 goals and 4 assists.
I would say his contribution has been on par with those he is fighting for a first place position while not being in his natural role.
No its not. He only has the place because everyone else is too shit to make it thier own. If we had better players he would not be in the team. He is there on merit.
The thread is not about his performances, it's about long term potential.
Age is not irrelevant.
Couldn't say it better myself. I heard at half time on the radio how Rashford & martial are wingers (since martial hadnt scored yet) - seems like pace is the only thing needed to be a winger. I'd say both martial & Rashford have everything needed to improve in central positions except possibly heading. Put them out wide they need to learn how to take their man on inside & outside, learn how to cross & even occasionally on both feet, track back, the benefit of hugging the touchline & coming in more centrally etc.
I'm personally not too worried about Rashford but merely frustrated at how Jose has managed an up & coming talent. It doesn't matter too much since Rashford is more likely to be here longer at United than Jose & most managers would let Rashford, Martial, lukaku compete as strikers all season because all 3 have benefits especially seeing them in a front 2.
We already do, in the performances thread and elsewhere. Usually he gets judged rather harshly, with his actual goals/assists and all round contribution getting ignored often in favour of some imaginary player who isn't in the squad.
This thread is supposed to be about his future.
Totally agree
I don't think it is silly to question rashfords quality and place in united. I think this shows exactly the difference between chelsea\city and us. They are Alot more ruthless when it comes to getting rid of youth players. I think we stick to much and give to many chances look at obertan or gibbs or even cleverly. For every 1000 obertans you get 1 de bruyne. You have to take the risk to win trophies.
He's been forced outwide to play a position he isn't exactly suited too. The drop off in performances show this - if given a run upfront I'm sure he'd develop into a class forward.
Fair enough - apologies.
Then his short term future shoukd be being loaned out for 2 x half season: once at a lower PL team and once at a foreign club like Ajax or another famous footballing school. Else he won't stand a chance of developing, because our team cannot afford passengers right now.
Its an established path followed by the current day examples like De Bryune, Lukaku and our own Pereira. I don't think Rashford is 'boy wonder' enough to deserve exception.
I agree that our sqaud is not good enough, especially up top - one of the reasons we are so far behind City.
I don't think the solution is to rely on a 20 year old, rather invest in more developed players already approaching consistency.
Rashford may make but I suspect it will take him at least 2.5 years more before that point, as Mourinho said yesterday, of he makes it at all.
But isnt that what lukaku is for? The first choice striker who will allow us to rotate rashford as a backup player while he grows up.
Cole, Yorke, Solskjaer, Sheringham
Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez, Giggs, Berbatov
Lukaku, 36 year old ACL recovering Ibra, Martial, Rashford
No I don’t think the current Rashford deserves the rotation role for a team who wants to be top of the tree. Still way to green and inconsistent.
We played two strikers at that time and including Ronaldo and Giggs as strikers?
Unless we shift to a two man strike force, I dont think we will find players much better than rashford to be the backup striker and I would always opt for developing a young player with potential than having a 27/30 year old on bench who would never be good enough to be your first choice.
Ronnie started as striker many times including his final game for us, the 2009 CL final.
you may opt as you wish and good luck with that. Enjoy not winning the league either!
Alongside with Pogba, Martial and De Gea, Rashford has an insane talent and the only thing missing so far is proper coaching to develop his particular skills.
He needs to be handled properly or we are in danger of totally stalling the progression of our exciting youth player. He needs to be given regular chances up top if Lukaku is not up to standards and I don't care how much money the Belgian costs - Rashford has a much higher technical ceiling and when full on confidence, he could prove to be just as good a goalscorer.
He needs to be handled properly or we are in danger of totally stalling the progression of our exciting youth player. He needs to be given regular chances up top if Lukaku is not up to standards and I don't care how much money the Belgian costs - Rashford has a much higher technical ceiling and when full on confidence, he could prove to be just as good a goalscorer.
Many times, I remember that being one of the few times he actually played as a striker and was ineffective in that game too.
All our players were totally ineffective that game. Anyways has nothing to do with Rashford and his long term plan.
Maybe he could play as a number 10 like Mata or Henrikh ? I'm sure it would be an upgrade...
Does he have the dribbling skills required? Or the creative passing or finding space in between the lines? Not suited to that at all imo.
Correct me if i'm wrong but Harry Kane hadn't started a PL game for Spurs when he was Rashford's age.
A good 70% of the posts in this thread are a joke.
A good 70% of the posts in this thread are a joke.
I think that he's way too greedy of a player to play as a 10.
Like many have said, I see him playing as a ST just not at United.
I don't think his future will be at Old Trafford, but if it is, it'll surely be as a striker. Would 66% of the Cafe still refuse to swap him for Harry Kane. 
20 year old forward. Was one of our outstanding performers at the beginning of the season. Currently going through a slump. Has about 15 years+ left of his career but apparently to some in this thread he is already not good enough at 20 with over 60 games under his belt.
I think he will have a long and prosperous future here for my part and he can play both inside forward left and central striker and excel in both positions as time goes on.
They key is to stop playing him on the right as we have on occasions and to rotate him with Martial (because at this stage they are both inconsistent as is to be expected from young players) both staring on the left and occasionally central striker with a right winger to complement them playing over the opposite side when playing wide.
I think he will have a long and prosperous future here for my part and he can play both inside forward left and central striker and excel in both positions as time goes on.
They key is to stop playing him on the right as we have on occasions and to rotate him with Martial (because at this stage they are both inconsistent as is to be expected from young players) both staring on the left and occasionally central striker with a right winger to complement them playing over the opposite side when playing wide.
Yes I'd refuse swapping Rashford for Harry kane when we have that 85 million mascot upfront. Would swap lukaku, personally package & ship him.I don't think his future will be at Old Trafford, but if it is, it'll surely be as a striker. Would 66% of the Cafe still refuse to swap him for Harry Kane.
Considering the positions they have played & the number of games played, the age experience; the numbers are utter embarrassing for lukaku
Centre forward.
The lads only 20 years old! give him time.
The lads only 20 years old! give him time.
A loan spell might just be what he needs to learn the CF role properly because he doesn't really fits José's type of lone CF right now, but the talent is clearly there...
I see him and Martial as very similar in that both are effectively strikers that love to drift out wide to the left and attack from that side but in order to be at their best need to play in a front three rather than as one of three behind a main striker or with their back to goal as the furthest man forward.
Not comparing them to him but Thierry Henry was still drifting out to the left and attacking from that side well into his 30’s as he had scary pace and dribbling ability that scared defenders to death when running at them, that’s what I see short term and long term for both Rashford and Martial but I think they’re interchangeable and playing together and swapping positions constantly could be devastating.
Not comparing them to him but Thierry Henry was still drifting out to the left and attacking from that side well into his 30’s as he had scary pace and dribbling ability that scared defenders to death when running at them, that’s what I see short term and long term for both Rashford and Martial but I think they’re interchangeable and playing together and swapping positions constantly could be devastating.
My thoughts exactly - if they played in partnership say upfront in a 352; I'd hate to see what they could get up to if they had a 5 game spree of adapting to each other. This coupled with Lingard on current form playing in behind joining the forwards to make a front 3 by running in to space is delicious.
Yet to only see it once under Jose against some non PL team.
Just imagine them playing centrally yet doing beautiful things like both drifting wider waiting for the counterattack on the wings
Having martial & Rashford start on the wings is a totally different story compared to them being allowed to start centrally & drift wider when it suits them - your opinion about Henry doing similar is spot on
Don't think his future will be much different from present. He will be backup striker here used on the flanks from time to time to utilise his pace. As long as Lukaku is here he has the striker position nailed to him ( and deservedly so ) so Rashford will never be the main striker here. He'll be still be a very good option as a sub striker or a sub winger once he sorts out his decision making problems
Those who think he'll leave or his future isn't here are crazy tbh.
Those who think he'll leave or his future isn't here are crazy tbh.