More than the incoming this summer, Ineos’ ruthlessness has been laid bare by the decisions made in outgoings.
Be it releasing the likes of Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane on free transfers, taking financial hits to get rid of Donny van de Beek or clinically replacing Aaron Wan-Bissaka with Noussair Mazraoui, the new direction is clear.
No longer will the prospect of “protecting the value” be entertained by keeping players in the team whose wage packet doesn’t reflect their contribution to the team.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly identified the next man at the club he has to have an eye on for next summer’s dismantling.
Last-chance saloon for Marcus Rashford
After starting off the Erik ten Hag with a bang by scoring 30 goals and assisting ten in all competitions during the 2022/23 season, the fall was as great as the high.
Rashford’s form collapsed last season and there were even reports that United would be open to offers for their academy’s golden boy of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
A refreshed Rashford, however, has impressed in pre-season and outside of actually finishing his chances, has looked fairly good so far.
- READ MORE: Who is Marcus Rashford? Inside the life of Man Utd’s book-writing, government-tackling ace
However, “fairly good” might not cut it anymore if recent reports are to be believed.
GIVEMESPORT reports that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s patience with carrying ‘passengers’ in the squad is thinning and Rashford is among the first names on that list.
The United forward is reportedly in the ‘last chance saloon’ at the club, with United looking forward to a much-improved season for him before making a potentially ruthless decision next summer.
According to the report, the new club ownership wants to create a culture where ‘mentality, high standards, and elite-level professionalism’ are the cornerstones.
Rashford came under fire for a lack of all these three qualities last season, hence the enhanced scrutiny this season.
Unpacking the report
It is not remarkably unbelievable that the club expects world-class displays from a player who’s paid like a world-class athlete.
Rashford earns in the region of £300k/week and after the recent Bruno Fernandes contract extension, Ineos have sent a clear message on the kind of output they expect from a player in that wage bracket.
It is worth noting that Rashford’s contract extension didn’t come under the new regime and the displays he leveraged to earn it came when he was in a contract year himself.
Therefore, it is natural to scrutinise whether the player has the same commitment as he did when his contract was expiring.
However, the whole team struggled last season and it has since been revealed that Rashford was also dealing with some stuff off the pitch.
While a season similar to the 2022/23 output would be ideal, it would be premature to write off the player if he doesn’t match those numbers.
So far this season, he has shown better application of his talents, in both defense and attack. He keeps getting into good positions but is just failing to hit the final mark.
Ultimately, the performances always match results in the long term and so far, his performances have been encouraging, even if the results haven’t.
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