"It looks like everything is a chore for him."
Alan Shearer was damning in his assessment of Marcus Rashford after United's slender 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Monday night, but it would be a stretch to suggest he was wrong.
The United man looked uncharacteristically unadventurous at times, lacking alertness, sharpness and devoid of any sustained work ethic. His current commitment is significantly below-par and not up to standards expected when you pull on the United shirt. However, he is a Manchester lad and a boyhood United fan; he knows the club's values better than anyone, so it's clear something isn't right and is triggering the slump. After all, Rashford definitely isn't one to not give his all without real reasoning.
Really, Rashford's current individual issues are the epitome of lots of United’s problems in some aspects too. He looked dejected at times on Monday, despite United leading from early on, lost for ideas amidst his seemingly shattered current confidence. His head was down for large phases and, by the climax as he was withdrawn with around five minutes remaining, his head was hardly even in the game. This absence of faith was epitomised clearly on two occasions in particular, with Rashford failing to follow up two gettable rebounds having been caught napping on his heels.
By the closing stages of his night, his self-belief had diminished to such an extent that he resorted to simply playing the simplest of passive passes. At least earlier on in proceedings he was attempting to take players on, but his usual trickery was absent even in these phases. Often, too, his decision making seemed distorted. At times, it looked as though he was merely running into dead ends, with no direction about his drives. The ball was often getting stuck in his feet, and at times he seemed as though he was almost going to fall over his own feet.
Since returning after his summer shoulder surgery, a period during which he also recovered from an underlying foot issue, he has only seemed back to speed in patches. If anything, he came back firing only to regress week by week. Rashford has featured 11 times in the Premier League following on from his return, averaging 55 minutes per appearance. However, during this time, he has only scored twice and provided a single assist, with one further goal scored over his three Champions League outings.
He is on the back of two 20-goal seasons, yet it still feels as though there's lots more to offer on that front. On a creative front, he has been near enough a non-entity, seeming disconnected in recent times.
There is a concern within United about Rashford’s present form, report The Times, with a number suggestions that some club legends have offered their services to try to help the player get out of his present slump. He's a shadow of himself at the moment, looking as though he almost would rather be anywhere other than a football pitch.
It's interesting to note that candidate for the United managerial role Mauricio Pochettino is a big admirer of Rashford. In fact, six months ago, when Real Madrid declared their interest in Kylian Mbappe, The Times have revealed that PSG started drawing up a shortlist of possible replacements and Rashford was at the top of their list. If he was to become Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's permanent successor in the summer, Pochettino would certainly be the right man to get Rashford's career back on an upward trajectory.
It's no surprise that Rashford has struggled for consistency in recent years, more so than ever currently. Since his debut almost six years ago, the now 24 year-old has played under four different managers, plus the recent spell with Michael Carrick at the helm. The club has been in a phase of instability, so it comes as no surprise that has translated to a young player still very much learning his trade.
In fact, The Telegraph have reported that Rashford is still so desperate to learn that he puts himself through triple training sessions and spends up to 12 hours a day at Carrington. In addition, Rashford allegedly quizzes Cristiano Ronaldo on what he eats and also on what specifically the Portuguese's muscle mass was at his age.
Rashford is reportedly upset by the accusations that he lacks commitment given his love for United. If anything he cares too much and has, on occasions, taken on too much responsibility and sacrificed himself for the club. The narrative that his off-field exploits get in the way are purely mythical.
Ralf Rangnick's post-match comments on Monday night, suggesting that "it would be good for Marcus if he could score a goal", reinforce ideas that it's merely a concurrent confidence issue ongoing for Rashford. He certainly does look disheartened, and is in desperate need of a boost from a goal. He's a unique and special talent, and that doesn't just disappear.
It’s a bad patch, and every player goes through them in their careers. The fanbase needs to keep backing him, as they did as his name was sung by The Red Army following his Monday night substitution. It's the most taxing period of his career right now, especially off the back of summer European Championship disappointment, so backing is imperative.
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