“It certainly seems that way,” former Old Trafford hero Lee Sharpe tells Tribalfootball, “with what he's come out with in the press, it could be a difficult road back for him. Or at least an awkward road back if he wants to stay and get his place back.”
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim came out in response, urging Rashford to take up the challenge and get back to his best under the Portuguese stewardship.
“We are better with Marcus Rashford, that is simple and we will try different things to push Marcus to the best levels he showed in the past”, Amorim said, and Lee Sharpe is certain the former Sporting Lisbon boss means every word.
“I do, yes. He's changing the formation and he's asking players to play different roles with a different mentality and a different philosophy. He's gone in there trying to get the best out of everyone as most managers do. Most go in and try to wipe the slate clean and give everyone a fresh start and we all know how good Marcus Rashford can be.
“He's absolutely devastating on his day but he's not put in that kind of performance regularly for a long time. Managers can’t look at someone with a high profile and lots of talent like Marcus and give him all the time, encouragement and backing in the world if the work rate is not there. And I'm not sure we're seeing the work rate from Marcus Rashford that the team needs at the moment,” says Sharpe, who managed 193 games for Man United himself.
“Now, if Marcus Rashford's scoring 30-35 goals a season, you sort of say, ‘OK, have a little rest when the ball is in our half and we'll look out for you’. But at the moment, the team is struggling. They're working out new formations. The team's changing week by week. He needs to be someone that is setting the standard for all the other young lads and all the other players in the team. He knows what the club's about, he knows what the team's about, he knows it's a tricky situation for the team and the club and he should be working his socks off and doing more than most. Like David Beckham or Wayne Rooney would have done back in the day.”
Starting the first two games under Amorim and scoring in both it is not as if the new boss hasn’t thrown him a bone, so what prompted the omission from the squad against Man City?
“I can only put it down to the fact that the manager thinks he's not working hard enough. He has played at this level for many years now and when the team is struggling, you have to help your teammates out that are not playing well and he doesn't seem to be doing that. He is not the one encouraging team mates and I know that's a difficult thing to do when you're not playing great yourself, but with his experience, he should be doing things like that. The manager's tried him in a couple of positions so it's not like he's not trying to accommodate Rashford and trying to get his best position.”
New York trip not ideal
In the first season under Erik ten Hag, Marcus Rashford scored 30 goals for Man United, which is a far cry from his latest output.
“He was absolutely devastating. He looked like a man on a mission. He was unplayable at times. His feet were unbelievable. He was pacey. He worked hard, was full of confidence, scoring goals. And he was ruthless. Since then, he's looked a shadow of his former self. I think Ten Hag tried, so, what is going on behind the scenes that's stopping him performing from his best? Only Marcus Rashford can answer that question.”
On the omission from the squad against Man City, Ruben Amorim told the press that he pays attention to everything, and Sharpe points to one particular thing which could have caused the boss to take this step.
“Flying across the Atlantic to watch a basketball game and being a bit of a celebrity in America is probably not ideal when the team's playing bad and you're not performing well yourself. In that position, you generally lie low and keep out of people's way. There are so many different facets to what the manager is looking out for and if you give two or three little items to pick up on, then all of a sudden, the manager’s got a real excuse to leave him out.”
PSG seem an early frontrunner to get Rashford’s signature, and Sharpie ponders whether Saudi Arabia might come into question.
“Rashford is turning himself into a little bit of a luxury player because of his work rate. Teams at the highest level don't really accommodate luxury players that don't work their socks off. I know he's a big name, but the last couple of seasons won't have helped.
“But he's a phenomenal talent and what he's done for the school kids, I think is remarkable. He does genuinely seem like a really lovely, honest young man. I really hope that at the end of his career we don’t remember him for not living up to what he's already achieved. He was absolutely sensational a couple of seasons ago and I hope he gets back to that again.”
- Lee Sharpe was speaking to Tribalfootball on behalf of William Hill