It says much for Manchester United wonderkid Marcus Rashford that there are those at the club that mention his name in the same breath as the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, and rightly so. The England international’s prolific form in front of goal continued against Brighton on Saturday so much so that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer couldn’t help but heap more praise on the youngster saying declaring that Rashford is “playing the best football in his career” and “can be absolutely top class” after watching him score his fifth goal in six games since the Norwegian took over the reigns before Christmas.
There are various moments that herald a young players career which catapult them from a budding talent to an established superstar. What tends to differentiate the greats from the rest is that these events are fairly frequent and set at double speed. Marcus Rashford is admirably among those select few.
In the last month alone, Marcus Rashford has consistently and forcibly underlined his unbelievable talents, not least with the manner in which he clinically netted United’s winner over Tottenham at Wembley and his superbly taken goal against Brighton last weekend. We were always aware of Rashford’s abilities under Jose Mourinho but it can be argued that he wasn’t given the opportunity and the freedom to express himself. Most of the time under the Portuguese coach, the youngster would find himself starting a few games and then dropped – albeit surprisingly – for another few games.
Since Ole Gunner Solskjaer’s appointment as caretaker manager before Christmas however, Marcus Rashford has started in six of his seven games, and introduced him from the bench in the FA Cup against Reading. While there has been the lingering perception that Marcus Rashford has been underused this term you only have to check the stats in comparison to other young stars in the world of football and find that Marcus Rashford has been utilised heavily over the past few seasons, it even got to a point last season where Mourinho had to justify that fact when criticism – something he was very accustomed to – came his way for his sparing use of the striker. Marcus Rashford, this term hasn’t missed a single game since September’s Carabao cup defeat to Frank Lampard’s Derby at Old Trafford. God knows what might’ve been had Rashford been involved – a tie that signalled the completion of his three match ban following his red card against Burnley earlier that month.
In truth, the United speedster has been involved in the first team picture since photo-bombing it in February 2016 – being brought to the side after injury trouble had kept Van Gaal’s side without a first team attacker in the Europa League tie against Danish outfit FC Midtjylland. It has been 35 rapid months since Rashford broke into the scene scoring four goals in two starts in the Europa League tie and famously against Arsenal at Old Trafford in a 3-2 victory.
Ever since then, we have experienced the rapid rise, and unspeakable growth of Marcus Rashford not just physically, but its his understanding of the game and his ability to find the back of the net. The 21-year-old today stands on the cusp of making his 150th United appearance; a landmark he has reached younger and much faster than any one of United’s superstars in its rich history. Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney, you name them.
What’s mightily impressive about Marcus Rashford is that he is improving all the time, his maturity and stature steadily growing with each passing game. Not only that, but its that consuming fire in his belly to try new things whether its getting past his man, shooting from weird angles or attempting a kind of pass that former United player and legend Paul Scholes would be proud of. Another Reds legend, Sky Sports Pundit Gary Neville reflected on Rashford’s ability after the victory over Newcastle:
“The spring in the counter-attack is there and Rashford playing up top is fantastic – I love him to bits. He’s played nearly 150 games at the age of 21 and his potential is enormous. It’s actually now stepping up beyond potential to where he will be a top class player.”
Indeed, Marcus Rashford is well on his way to being referred to as a world class player, which begs the question can we only refer to him as a player with enormous potential? However, the England youngster has got to carry on this rich vein of form on the European and World stage before he can be considered in that world class bracket.
Neville also added:
“This kid is going to devastate teams. Rashford gives them something different and he is a fantastic player. He is on the right trajectory to become something really special for Manchester United.”
Under Ole Gunner Solskjaer, Rashford has found a new lease of life. The Norwegian coach’s tactical acumen as freed up the forward and has give him the license to fully express and flaunt his tremendous abilities, to be devastating on those trademark quick-fire, rapid counter attacks. His cool and composed finish against Tottenham at Wembley is a perfect example of the way Solskjaer has got his team playing. A quick and lethal striker with pacey wingers who also hold the ability to quickly and sharply get by their markers – that’s the Manchester United way.
The revival at the club under Solskjaer is not only down to the upturn in form from Paul Pogba but it is Solskjaer’s belief in Rashford and his bravery to make him is number one striker at the expense of Romelu Lukaku. Rashford has already learned valuable lessons under seasoned and reputable managers like Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, but the appointment of Solskjaer has been the springboard for his performance levels. The Norwegian has made no secret for his admiration for the wonderkid, while quickly insisting on passing on many of his understanding and tricks when it comes to his positioning in the penalty area and his finishing – tips that will only elevate Marcus Rashford even more.
While his goals may have garnered much of the praise and headlines, it is his pace, fearlessness, unpredictability and tenacity that has been just as impressive and have made up the cornerstone of his game. Certainly there is still much for Rashford to learn and a few tricks to pick up and also what needs to follow, in every case is his consistency and functionality. You could argue those have been steadily growing within Rashford’s game, and now that his talents are in the hands of a United coach – a vital component himself in that famous United 1999 treble winning side – the Wythenshawe-born forward is now privy to a higher education of what being a United player means and the ethos of such a famous club built with such a rich history – an education of the greatest relevance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaKV2dgUdf4
The signs so far will stand Marcus Rashford in good stead for the future, not only for himself but for the club as a whole. It took only three minutes of Solskjaer’s reign for Rashford to stake his claim, thundering a vicious, stunning free-kick against Cardiff in December, then following up that performance with an impressive all round showing against Huddersfield on Boxing day and then audaciously making fun out of Bournemouth’s sorry defence a few days later where his quick feet and trickery led to a sublime assist for Paul Pogba to open the scoring in front of the United faithful. After that, a clinical and predatory finish to put United out of sight. Rashford’s brilliance has shone through time and time again since the beginning of Christmas – even when it matters most too. His winner against Tottenham now means he has scored in victories over all of the big six over the past few seasons – picking up the knack of finding the net on the big occasions.
You’d be mad to argue that Marcus Rashford does not have it within himself to become a Manchester United icon – providing he stays at Old Trafford for the rest of his career. Given his achievements at such a young age, it is hard not to cast a wondering eye on the talents of Rashford. If he carries on in this sort of form and freedom then the future really does look remarkably bright. Solskjaer’s appointment may be short-term but for Rashford, the instruction and advice he is gathering now will only do him the world of good for years to come.
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