October 20, 2020. Manchester United played away from home against Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League qualifier that seemed impossible to beat.
A penalty was given after 89 minutes, allowing the visitors to gain the lead: 0 – 1. was the scorer. It takes a goal to complete a sensational comeback and climb the Marcus Rashford steps. Received by the boos of the fans and the veteran Buffon who stands in his way, the then 21-year-old remains calm and crashes the ball into the net; silencing not only the boos but the city as a whole.
Fast forward to May 2022 and the mood is completely different. Abandoned by Gareth Southgate’s England team during the pre-World Cup period and with a steady performance with a United shirt, there are questions about what will be next for the 24-year-old.
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The MEN reported in March that he was seriously considering his future at the club from his childhood due to lack of playing time, but no one can blame Rangnick for looking at options in the game other than Rashford.
In the Premier League this season he has only scored four goals in 25 appearances and has only been on the field all 90 times. Compared to the previous two seasons, Rashford acquired more than 20G / A in both league campaigns. The decline in form is due to several things, but it seems to be mainly due to confidence. At times this season has seemed completely dead-end, an uninspired artist.
To make matters worse, fans have lost patience. While usually a favorite among thousands at Old Trafford, nonsensical comments about “more attention needs to be paid to football” in terms of their solidarity work have become increasingly frequent.
So what happens next? New coach Erik Ten Hag arrived in Manchester earlier than expected, indicating there is a lot of work to be done. Rashford could take notes.
During Ten Hag’s tenure at Ajax, he created two separate teams, most notably the 2018-19 squad that was so close to making a Champions League final. During this period, the Dutch coach favored the inverted ends who enjoyed cutting themselves to their favorite foot and making an attempt at goal. Another feature was the sides joining on the other side, overloading the area and giving multiple bodies to the opposing team.
It remains to be seen whether Ten Hag will adopt this style of play at Old Trafford. He is more likely to use tactics that favor his current quality of player, but the extreme style used in 18-19 would suit Rashford.
The winger has a collection of goals scored from the inside cut to the right foot, and his experience on the opposing side this season makes him no stranger to joining the attack in his least desired position.
Rashford may see the start of his career at United this summer. The ills of 2021/22 can be forgotten under new leadership, and he has a chance to regain that leftist position. Whether he does it or not depends on himself.
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