The Marcus Rashford question continues to dominate the agenda at Manchester United despite attempts from the manager to defuse the situation.
From Rashford being dropped for the Manchester Derby (along with Alejandro Garnacho, who’s getting nowhere near as much attention), to reports of United open to selling him, the situation has developed rapidly.
It’s not been helped by the player himself, with Rashford stating he’s ready for a new challenge, to which Amorim responded masterfully in a recent press conference.
Still, until Marcus Rashford silences the critics on the pitch or leaves the club at some point in the future, it is fair to assume it will continue to dominate discussions.
Rio Ferdinand is the latest to pitch in with a brutally honest verdict which many Man Utd fans will relate to.
Rio Ferdinand on Marcus Rashford’s situation
Rashford has been the subject of intense media scrutiny and criticism understandably for his performances but at times, unfortunately, for his off-field activities as well.
However, Rio Ferdinand has been among the select few to have always backed the United forward as being one of the club’s own.
That is exactly the vibe Rashford gave off when he broke through at Old Trafford in a start straight out of a kid’s dreams who wants to play for United someday.
Ferdinand evoked the memories of that same version of Rashford and said that the drop in body language has been the biggest killer for him, with the player no longer playing with a smile on his face.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: “When this kid [Rashford] came onto the scene, he was an absolute breath of fresh air. He was a joke.
“The body language when he came in was what every fan saw themselves being if they came in and that’s been the biggest killer for me.
“His body language for the last three years hasn’t been what a Man Utd fan sees themselves being like in a Man Utd shirt at Old Trafford when a goal goes in.
“It’s been an almost depressive body language, like a very reclused type. Fans are meant to see academy products and see themselves there. It’s a privilege to step out there in a red shirt and Marcus has said that but his body language hasn’t.”
Ferdinand ended by wishing that the time remaining for Rashford at United, whatever it might be, goes pleasantly but the way it looks to be ending saddens him.
What next for Marcus Rashford?
Saying that you’re ready for a new challenge is much different from finding one that suits all your needs and that in itself is the biggest challenge everyone in the situation faces right now.
Rashford’s wages north of £300k/week are not being justified by his performances for nearly two seasons and that’s not a thought lost on any potentially interested team.
He can go to a place like Saudi Arabia or follow David Bekcham’s path to the MLS but it would be an unfortunate end to the competitive phase of a career that should be at its peak at 27.
The other option is to put his head down and force himself back into the manager’s plans but his comments after being dropped for the derby don’t fill one with too much hope.
As Ferdinand said, it’s a sad end to the career that broke through in a perfect manner and promised the world.
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