Marcus Rashford faces a crucial season under new manager Erik ten Hag, bidding to reclaim his place in England’s squad for the World Cup after reestablishing himself as a starter for Manchester United
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Man Utd’s pre-season schedule in full as Red Devils head for Australia
When Erik ten Hag finally steps into his office at Manchester United ‘s training ground on Monday to kick-off pre-season, he’ll have an agenda unrivalled by any manager in the world waiting on his desk.
Pressure to rise above, targets to meet, expectations to live up to – and that’ll just be his weekly press conferences. However, a bullet point on his to-do list by the name of Marcus Rashford will soon become a priority. That’s because the 24-year-old is preparing for undoubtedly the biggest season of his now stalling career.
Off the back of 2020-21 and arguably his best campaign since spectacularly breaking through as a bright 18-year-old in early 2016 – and his longest spell on the sidelines injured, due to long put-off surgery – Rashford contributed just five goals and two last term. To compound his personal misery, 2021-22 also saw his boyhood club record their lowest points tally in Premier League history.
But now a new era approaches, one in which the Red Devils academy graduate has the opportunity to get back on track under a new boss. Ten Hag has already shown his ability to get the best out of flexible forwards who’re technically gifted at Ajax, but there seems to be a misunderstanding between the two when it comes to where Rashford will be deployed.
A report from the Manchester Evening News suggested that the former England international will be Ten Hag’s backup striker if the club are unable to sign a new centre forward, acting as Cristiano Ronaldo ‘s understudy. This would, in turn, restrict Rashford’s game time and is at odds with where he himself best sees his role within United’s attack.
According to Goal, the player wants the opportunity to be his manager’s starting left-winger, where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer played him most often in 2020-21. Having sensationally began life in the senior squad under Louis van Gaal as a lone striker, Jose Mourinho often pushed him out wide, and – after some teething problems – he eventually flourished once Solskjaer rocked up.
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Interim manager Ralf Rangnick wasn’t able to utilise him much at all, overseeing his worst displays as speculation arose that a transfer away this summer would be best for all parties. But those rumours have since been shunned, with Rashford intent on rescuing his legacy at Old Trafford.
Over the summer break, he’s posted videos of himself bulking up in the gym, a signal which many viewed as Rashford being ready to accept Ten Hag’s calling, readying himself to operate down the middle, running in behind centre-backs rather than trying to outfox full-backs.
His issues aren’t restricted to his club football, either as England boss Gareth Southgate ‘s recent comments offered a telling verdict on his international future. While both Rashford and United teammate Jadon Sancho were part of the Three Lions’ run to the final of Euro 2020 last summer, Southgate has suggested that their absences from his squads in the months since aren’t having a negative affect on the England camp, putting it down to the pair to come back stronger and make it into his Qatar World Cup roster.
“I think there is a perception of what we had and have, and there’s the reality of what Harry (Kane) and Raheem (Sterling) have delivered compared to everybody else,” the Three Lions gaffer explained. “Whenever there is a question about Manchester United, it lands in their lap and becomes a bigger deal than anything else. That is for them to deal with.”
When Rashford returns to Carrington on Monday morning to begin pre-season training, the issue of where exactly he’ll be playing when the real business gets underway will no-doubt be on his and his new coach’s minds – and they may not agree.
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