Marcus Rashford has been accused of lacking accountability for the problems he and Manchester United faced last season. The forward fell out of favour under Ruben Amorim as results fell off a cliff, failing to apply himself in training according to the head coach, but has since joined Barcelona on loan and is enjoying his best run of form in more than 18 months.
Ex-Man Utd striker weighs in
Louis Saha, who spent four and a half years with Manchester United between 2004 and 2008, suggested that Rashford didn't respond in the right way to the challenges that faced him at Old Trafford last season.
"As a professional, you need to find solutions, regardless of whether the manager likes you," Saha said, speaking to football betting site BetVictor. "We all face moments where we have to perform on the field, and that wasn't his response. There were definitely times I saw a player who was out of form, who didn't want to be there, and that's not normal.
"It's not normal to play like that. You might want to request a transfer, but when you're on the field, you work hard. He wasn't working hard, something was clearly wrong, and he was unhappy. You shouldn't let anything take away your joy on the pitch because you have a responsibility to your fans. It's not about the manager, or the club owners; it's about the thousands of people paying for tickets.
"I get angry because it feels like a waste, and it shows a lack of accountability. Now, I'm very happy for him as a football player, not just for me, but for fans all over the world in Barcelona who can now enjoy a terrific player. But, of course, as a Manchester United fan, I'm angry."
AdvertisementAFPRashford's fine Barcelona form
Rashford had enjoyed a career best season in 2022-23, racking up 42 goals and assists combined in 56 appearances for United that year. But over the subsequent 18 months, from the start of 2023-24 until being dropped by Amorim in December 2024, this dropped to just 24 in 67 games.
After showing flashes in the second half of last season with Aston Villa, Rashford has quickly started hitting impressive numbers again since joining Barcelona on loan. So far, it's 12 goals and assists in only 13 outing for the Blaugrana across La Liga and the Champions League. He's netted four times in Europe alone and set up Barcelona's only goal in the weekend's El Clasico defeat.
Rashford was 'part of the problem' at Man Utd
Rashford recently implied that he considered the "inconsistent environment" he encountered at Manchester United over the past couple of seasons to be behind his sustained loss of form.
"I feel like I have been in an inconsistent environment for a very long time, so it is even more difficult to be consistent," he complained.
That prompted a response from ex-United skipper Roy Keane that suggested Rashford was part of the problem that was causing it, with managers and staff coming and going. "Towards the end of his time at United, there was obviously issues. He was part of the problem with the environment, especially [being] one of the most experienced players at United," Keane went on to say during an appearance on ITV programming. "He should have been setting the standards and showing new people at the club what it's like to be a United player."
Getty Images SportEngland star keen on Barcelona stay
Barcelona hold an option to buy Rashford for just £28 million ($37m), significantly cheaper than the £40m ($53m) that rivals clubs are expected to be quoted, and it has been reported that the England international would like to continue in Catalonia beyond this season. He wants to stay and Barcelona are said to be "closely monitoring" the situation.
"I'm enjoying this football club and I think for anybody who loves football, Barcelona is one of the key clubs in the history of the game. For a player it is an honour," Rashford told last week.
However, the big obstacle for Barcelona, still not out of the financial woods, is being able to afford it.
