It was a Champions League night at Old Trafford against Atalanta and Man United were trailing by 2 goals when Bruno Fernandes set Marcus Rashford through on goal and he finished with confidence to half the deficit - United would go on to win the game 3-2 thanks to Harry Maguire's equaliser and a late Ronaldo winner.
The above paragraph is not about that game, it is about Marcus Rashford. The goal against Atalanta was his 2nd goal in as many games after returning from a shoulder surgery that kept him out for almost 3 months. The previous weekend, he had scored a few minutes after coming on against Leicester to make the score 2:2 before United capitulated and lost the game by four goals to two.
It looked like the smoothest of comebacks for a player who had carried a shoulder injury for nearly 18 months, but who didn't stop running past defenders with ease, creating chances for teammates and scoring 21 goals in all competitions for United in 2020/21.
However, Marcus Rashford stagnated from there. No, it was not just the output, his attitude on the pitch was terrible. He couldn't complete a dribble to save his life and he seemed to not care either. He cast a forlorn figure after each failed dribble, each failed pass, each wayward shot and to be fair, those were many times too over the 2021/22 season.
While nearly every single United player performed poorly last season, Marcus Rashford was one of the few obvious ones due to the level he previously performed in. Rashford finished the season with four goals in the league and not a single one of them came when he started a game. He scored a dramatic injury time winner against West Ham in January, something that should have brought back his confidence if that was the issue. It didn't and its fair to assume that confidence isn't the issue with this player.
His season was probably summed up by an outburst with a fan in March when United got eliminated from the Champions League by Atlético Madrid which led to him issuing a very long explanation on twitter.
Rashford after the game yesterday
— sam_c345 (@C345Sam) March 16, 2022
pic.twitter.com/tsIHDtopqK
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| Marcus Rashford's explanation to the incident above. |
However, that abysmal 2021/22 season is out of the way now. It's a new season and a new era. Rashford, like. Everyone else, has a clean slate under Erik ten Hag. A summer break in the US where he worked on his fitness in other to be ready for Erik ten Hag’s demands has helped him in preseason training and games so far.
He scored against Melbourne Victory, he needed that goal not just for the confidence it would provide, but it also helps his rhythm, reminds him how he used to get at the end of through balls and also to gain the manager's trust.
In preseason, he seems to care again - like most of the squad in all honesty - and he looks fitter than ever. Weird one but he's got a very decent trim of his hair. No, I don't think hairstyles play football but the less attention you draw to your personal life, the better for your football career just as well as he's drawn less attention to his philanthropic duties by tweeting less about the government and hungry children.
Make or break season?
Potentially, yes. Marcus Rashford is in the last year of his contract at Old Trafford although the club do hold a one-year extension to the deal he signed in 2019, but would they trigger that option if he has the sort of season he had in 2021/22?
He'd be 25 by the end of the season, how many top clubs would rate a 25-year old with two consecutive mediocre seasons behind him?
If United does the trigger the one year extension, what guarantees are there that he'd rediscover his levels of 2020/21 in 2022/23?
It all lies with Rashford showing his class in the coming season. There is no place to hide under Erik ten Hag. Ole provided shelter for many underperforming players by defending them pressers. Rangnick was the direct opposite of Ole as he spoke out publicly, however, his poor management style and results meant his words counted for little.
Under ten Hag, United have a manager that a good portion of the fanbase believe in, as well as trusted by the board. Underperforming players would be responsible for their performances under this new era.
Marcus Rashford isn't an exception.
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