Much-maligned Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is actually averaging more ‘chances created per game’ this season than he was in 2022/23 despite all the concerns over his poor Premier League form.
Cast your minds back to last year. Remember all the hand-wringing that followed Manchester City’s relatively sluggish start to the campaign, the doubts swirling about whether Erling Haaland – despite his staggering goal return – was actually hampering the flow of Pep Guardiola’s side?
Now, considering that Rasmus Hojlund does not have a single goal in 11 top-flight games so far, it seems a little churlish to draw comparisons between the two situations. But perhaps Marcus Rashford is suffering from the same teething problems that City encountered during the first few months of Haaland’s arrival, forced to adapt to life alongside a throwback number nine.
Marcus Rashford facing criticism
Rashford played through the centre during much of Erik ten Hag’s debut campaign at Manchester United but has been shunted out on the right-hand side of late, with Alejandro Garnacho in scintillating form on the left.
Rashford and Hojlund, meanwhile, are yet to strike up anything like a partnership befitting of a club who once paired Dwight Yorke with Andy Cole, and Wayne Rooney with Cristiano Ronaldo.
But, while no one could argue that Rashford has been anything other than disappointing of late, the underlying numbers still provide reason for optimism. As The Athletic point out, Rashford is actually creating 1.23 chances per 90 minutes this season. A sizeable improvement on last season’s total of 0.96.
That may be the result of Rashford playing a more supportive role behind Hojlund, first-time passes around the corner into the Dane threatening to become something of a signature move with the Carrington graduate looking to add another string to his bow.
Man United host an in-form Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Saturday, but whether Rashford will be handed a place in Ten Hag’s XI remains to be seen. Antony and Garnacho – the latter setting up Scott McTominay’s winner – were ‘outstanding’ against Chelsea in midweek, United producing their best performance of the league campaign with Rashford watching on from the bench.
‘Rashford is incredible’
Ten Hag, however, remains confident that a return to last season’s peak form is only a matter of time.
“Rashford is an incredible, good player,” Ten Hag tells The Independent at his Friday press conference. “You can’t do it with 11 players. He can’t play every game. He’s not in the moment in the form he was last year, but I am sure he will get there.
“It is up to him. The team will always line themselves up and the best players who form the best team will play.”
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