Amidst all the euphoria surrounding the dawn of a new era at Man Utd with the signing of Bryan Mbeumo, the end of the old one has almost gone under the radar.
Marcus Rashford’s move to Barcelona brings a temporary end to the Man Utd career of a boyhood fan of the club, and all signs point to it being an eventual permanent end too.
To point to one thing that went wrong for Rashford at Old Trafford would be oversimplifying an extremely complex issue.
However, Gary Lineker, a player who knows a thing or two about being from England and playing for Barcelona, claims to know where it all went wrong for Rashford.
Gary Lineker on Marcus Rashford’s time at Man Utd
Rashford, in many ways, has mirrored United’s fate since his debut, as his best years have driven the club to successful seasons, and vice versa.
Ultimately, it looked like he had fallen out of love with the club, with the pressure and scrutiny of the “boyhood fan comes good” just too much to bear.
It’s why he looked freed at Aston Villa, despite the raw stats, and the same can be expected at Barcelona, which was his dream move anyway.
Lineker, speaking to Marca, is supremely confident that Rashford will revert to world-class levels at Nou Camp because the only thing that went wrong for him at Old Trafford is no longer a factor. He doesn’t play for Man Utd anymore.
He said [via Marca]: “Barça haven’t had an Englishman in their team for a long time, and it’s a good signing. He’s a great player. He’s had his problems at United in recent years; he hasn’t played much, but he has a lot of talent.
“The problem is Manchester United; those who have come out of there have played better elsewhere. He’s very fast, very dangerous, and a good person. I hope he can show his level. There are a lot of games being played these days, and more starters are needed. And Marcus has great quality. I think he’s going to be a great signing for Barça.”
Deal best for all parties, but Rashford’s troubles are not simple
Lineker, like many others before him, has oversimplified a complex problem because piling on United is the easy and straightforward thing to do.
United have failed Rashford in some regards, like not having stability in the managerial dugout or a professional dressing room to learn from.
Having said that, it doesn’t excuse Rashford’s own professional transgressions, like missing training after nights out, or a lack of effort when things aren’t going his way.
It has been reported earlier that the previous manager had problems with Rashford as well, so it’s just a case of Ruben Amorim being the one to eventually draw a line in the sand.
Saying players do better after leaving United is a case of confirmation bias, and media coverage that only pushes that narrative.
After all, it’s not that interesting to see how the likes of Facundo Pellistri are faring after leaving United.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
