Marcus Rashford is a one-in-three goalscorer and that would be an asset to many clubs, including Newcastle. The debate goes on.
We did suggest that people wrote in about the actual football but nobody did, so we can only print what we receive. Want to change the subject? Mail theeditor@football365.com
Rashford nerd alert
So a bit of stats chat to throw into the Rashford discourse: across his 10 Utd seasons so far, he’s played 426 games and scored 138 goals – 0.32 goals per game; or in old money, he scores once every 3 games. His England record is similar – a bit higher in that brilliant era pre-covid when we beat Spain and Croatia etc, a bit lower afterwards when Southgate decided attacking was gauche.
His Utd form seems to be easily split into two periods as well. In the 6 seasons from 2016 to 2021, his goals return goes up every year, more of his appearances become starts rather than subs, and just from the eyes you can see him becoming a better player. Over this period, his goals per game rate is 0.32; but it’s clear watching him that this a great player who has everything to be a modern striker, and at the age of 23 is about to hit his peak.
Then there are the last 4 seasons. 3 of his lowest scoring seasons are in this period, nearly all his appearances are starts, and the eye test has the likes of Roy Keane and eventually Gary Neville going bananas. But there’s also his best season yet in here, scoring 30 goals in 2022/23; which brings his goals per game over this 4-season period to a grand total of 0.32.
So how do we look at this properly? If you ignore the anomalous great season, then his goals per game since 2021 drops to a goal every 5 games. And we can all remember what happened in summer 2021 that might have prompted a drop in form; why the tabloids’ denunciation of trolls that followed seemed a bit tepid when it came to defending Enemy Of Tories Rashford. Not a surprise that Big Sir Jim is keen to boot him out the same exit that former shop steward Alex Ferguson took recently.
But 13% of Rashford’s Utd games came in 2022/23 so we shouldn’t ignore that because it doesn’t suit a narrative. And was it actually anomalous? In 2021/22 he made his fewest appearances in a full season, missed a big chunk of games with injury, and had Solskjaer’s sacking, Ronaldo and Rangnick to deal with, hardly an ideal environment. This season seems to be going badly if you listen to the noise, but he’s scored 7 in 24; basically back to a goal every 3 games. If anything, last season – Utd’s worst ever in the prem – was the anomaly.
So TLDR – put him into an average side and he’ll get you at least 12 league goals a season. Take him outside of a ridiculous soap opera, there is a very good forward here who can score much more regularly when he needs to. I wouldn’t take him at Villa as the Watkins/Duran/Rogers/Bailey mash is already a heady problem, but Rashford at Newcastle makes enormous sense to me.
Neil Raines
READ: 6th) Chelsea, 4th) Arsenal: Post-Man Utd moves for Rashford ranked on likelihood
Rashford for Arsenal, is it?
The consensus on these hallowed pages seems to be that Rashford (good egg he might be), is an overpaid, talentless, spineless busted flush who lacks a winning mentality.
Now. To me, that description can only mean there’s one realistic destination for Rashford next: which PL club is insane enough to overpay for a Big 6 reject who’s clearly beyond saving? 🤔🤔
Mind you a £70m air freshener might combat the stench of a £65m ashtray, eh? 😉
Stewie Griffin (And so the striker issue would still remain unaddressed!)
MORE ON THE RASHFORD BOMBSHELL FROM F365…
👉 Rashford to Arsenal, Garnacho to Atletico? Six potential 2025 Man Utd sales to fund Amorim rebuild
👉 Marcus Rashford leaving Man Utd: A case for the Premier League Big Eight
👉 Marcus Rashford is ‘talentless ambitionless spineless waste of space’
Rashford issue is his attitude
Tom, the LFC fan writing in the afternoon mailbox frames his comments as if United fans are outraged that Rashford, the ungrateful sod, wants to leave. Well, I don’t think United fans are. So far as there is a consensus on anything, I think the consensus on Rashford is that, yeah, it suits everyone if he moves on.
Let’s be clear though, giving that interview was a petulant PR stunt in reaction to being dropped, and a stupid one he didn’t need to make. It’s not like Mo Salah’s interview a few weeks ago where he hinted he was going which, possibly successfully, caused a bit of an outcry and has put pressure on Liverpool to up their financial offer to keep him. United probably want Rashford to leave and free up that £350k a week, most fans want him to go, he wants to go…. So what was he trying to achieve?
Was he trying to spark outrage at the club to pressure them to keep him? That didn’t work if so?
Was he trying to pressure the club into accepting a bid for him? If so, erm, from who? They’d be thrilled to sell him.
In honesty, I expect Rashford to be at United in February. Hell, I reckon he’s pretty likely to be at United in September – who else would be mad enough to pay him what he’s on?
As for the nonsense about it being United’s fault that Rashford hasn’t kicked on… rubbish. As funny as people find United’s current league position, while they haven’t been challenging for league titles, they’ve been quite competitive for most of that time. There have been plenty of United players who have been first choice picks for England and other national teams. This is in a side that, until Amorim’s arrival, was generally set up to get the best out of his skill set and he still hasn’t cracked on.
The issue with Rashford is an awful attitude. I don’t doubt that he gets a hard time in the press, but how many other top level players get disciplined as often as he does for things like that Ireland trip?
Andy (MUFC)
…So a few rival fans piping up that Rashford’s terrible form has nothing to do with him, but rather the omnishambles that is Manchester United. As cathartic as that must have been, not sure reality backs up your bitterness.
There have been two seasons, in his nine, that have shown there could be a world-class player in there. For sure, some of the goals are wonderful, and important, and against big opposition. But. If you actually go watch them, especially his second good season, a good half are break-area or counter-attacking goals. He became an absolute weapon because of a combination of top-level pace and great ball-striking.
But under various managers now he’s shown no ability to be part of a more possession-based team. His pressing is consistently woeful, his defensive positioning poor and his short passing is pretty diabolical given his pedigree.
For a decade now United fans have said he’s at his best when he doesn’t think too much on the pitch, with the hope it would improve with experience. It hasn’t. And as he’s lost his pace, he’s not adjusted at all, and doesn’t offer enough in a ‘modern’ setup. Couple that with his inability to keep his effort levels high and it simply isn’t going to work.
United fans have also been desperate for this to work. What could be better than an awesome bloke, raised at the club being the starting forward for years on end? Nothing. That’s the pinnacle of fandom.
But now you’ll struggle to find a single United fan desperate for him to stay. And it’s just sad, and I really hope it works out for him somewhere else, but honestly, as someone that has watched hours and hours of him over the last 3 years? I would be utterly, utterly shocked if he makes it at the top level again.
Ryan, Bermuda
Man Utd fans should be ashamed
I want to thank Tom LFC for his email about Rashford. Many Man Utd fans should feel ashamed at how they’ve treated Rashford over the years and that a Liverpool fan has come to his defence should be the cherry on top.
I’d love to see Rashford stay and do well. If he thinks he needs a change of scenery, all the best to him. He may not have done it consistently on the pitch, which is where he’ll ultimately be judged, but Marcus Rashford is a man that makes me proud he’s a Red.
Daniel, Cambridge
…Dan from Worthing hit the nail on the head with Rashford.
Just imagine you break through with incredible talent, at your boyhood club. You are clearly one of the most talented players of your generation, and you want to bring back your club back to its former glories.
But the club is badly mismanaged. A string of managers come and go – and in that time you yourself are perpetually asked to keep changing for a new manager – there is no continuity in helping him develop his game well. Some good times happen with the odd trophy, but then there are seasons of absolute despair and rubbish on the field.
What would happen to your motivation? You desperately want to succeed, but the club just simply isn’t playing its part.
And to those who try make out he has had just one good season in his career, that’s rubbish. 2018/19 once Jose left he led the line very well. Then I remember the first half of the 2019/20 season and he was literally our only bright spark – Martial kept getting injured, Pogba missed half the season etc – and he carried the team. I will never forget his performance vs City in Autumn 2019 – he ripped them apart that game.
But we were so dependent on him he ended up with shoulder problems because Ole was playing him when needed rest. He then had surgery at end of 20/21 but look at his quotes – he said it took 7 months for him to feel confident again in it. This explains why he was so poor that season.
Then he did 22/23 and did really well.
But 23/24 came and we were crap….again!! After all that you start to lose belief that it’s ever going to happen. And last season was the FIRST bad season he has had with no mitigating circumstances.
100% he needs to show more on the pitch than he has the past 12 months, but all those criticising him like he is a lazy player – do you have even the slightest idea what it takes to even be a top-level footballer?
He has lost his mojo and no wonder. I have belief Amorim will find a way to get a tune out of him – especially if he can get the team playing better. And if not – then he deserves a fresh start – and I will wish him all the best and thank him for being with us. If he hadn’t, we would have been so much worse than we were – that’s a fact.
Nishul Saperia (this world needs more empathy, rather than angry fans who feel entitled to trash players without a second’s thought on the reality of the situation)
…Great to see the mailbox responding suitably to the sadly-widespread nonsense spouted by a large proportion of the United fanbase.
Yes, United has been a mess of managers and players for a long time. Each with a different vision, different tactics and styles. He’s played in multiple positions and, other than the now perennially injured Shaw, hasn’t had the play be built to get the best from his underappreciated talent. People blaming him for last season (reminder, we won the FA Cup), while the rest of the team behind him was injury ravaged and dysfunctional.
Let’s compare a couple of players. Salah and Henry had the same manager and the same position, with the same playstyle and role, for the 7 or more years. The teams were and are built to get the best from them. Of course they thrived. Same with Kane. Same with any major player in any successful team.
Right now, Rashford doesn’t have a natural position in the formation at all. Maybe as striker but Højlund is more natural there and while Rashford did very well filling in there before and this season, there are weaknesses to his game there. This means he has to change his game at age 27, from a role that he’s played for the majority of his career.
I truly hope he stays, I think he can work well as a 10 that drives forwards (since he can pass, unlike some), or as an alternative striker – Højlund can’t play every match. But if he goes, I will wish him well and I know he’ll rip up whatever league he joins. Because he’s a hugely talented player, who just needs to play his natural role with a team playing to his strengths.
Unless we should trust the views of a random rabble of toxic fans over the views of someone like Sir Alex.
Badwolf
MORE ON THE RASHFORD BOMBSHELL FROM F365…
👉 Rashford to Arsenal, Garnacho to Atletico? Six potential 2025 Man Utd sales to fund Amorim rebuild
👉 Marcus Rashford leaving Man Utd: A case for the Premier League Big Eight
👉 Marcus Rashford is ‘talentless ambitionless spineless waste of space’
Where next for Danny Ings?
Thoughts and prayers with Danny Ings at this difficult time.
After an unrivalled, 3 goals every 10 premier league games career stretching back some 10 years now. He is deemed surplus to requirements at whatever Godforsaken hell hole he’s landed at.
Luckily for him, wokeball365 (have I got that right?) have no less than 4 lead articles about him today, including a breezy 2000 words on which of the Big Eight teams he might be most suited to.
3 in 10 strikers are like hen’s teeth in this league, so it is rightfully being treated with the reverence it deserves.
Keep dreaming Danny boy!
Mossy (taking down Morgan Goford since 2008)
Ps tbf to Ings, at least he managed a 20-league goal season once in his career unlike a certain Marcus Rashford
On those Man City bitters…
Man that was some very angry Berties you managed to upset, Steve Jones are you Curly Watts in disguise, proper 90’s bitterness.
Merry Christmas
David McDougall
(They no longer can even say they have the tallest floodlights in the land)
