Whoever finds himself in the Manchester United dugout next season – be it Erik ten Hag or another as-yet un-determined head coach – he will have to find an answer to the question on the lips of almost every Red Devils supporter.
A question that, during the reigns of Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick and now Erik ten Hag, has plagued every one of the last four Manchester United coaches, at one point or another.
How do you solve a problem like Marcus Rashford? How do you consistently harness the talents of a footballer who, at the age of 26, is still yet to outgrow the sort of issues footballers of his talent and experience really should have put in the rearview mirror by now?
Concerns over Rashford’s consistency – both in terms of output and end-product – not only remain, but continue to grow. At a time in which compatriots Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden are growing more and more influential almost by the month, Rashford’s career remains one of feast or famine. Of purple patches. Of searing hot and freezing cold.
Rashford scored 21 goals in 2020/21 and then finished with five the followinmg season. Last year, he became the first United player post-Sir Alex Ferguson to break the 30-goal barrier, but is yet to reach double figures this term, his performance levels dipping as alarming as the numbers suggest.
But Thomas Tuchel, arguably the most high-profile of the many, many managers linked with Ten Hag’s job, needs no introduction into the potential of a footballer who, around 12 months ago, looked briefly like the greatest forward not only in England but in the whole of Europe.
What does Thomas Tuchel think about Marcus Rashford?
“Honestly, (him scoring against us) gets a little bit annoying,” Tuchel joked back in 2020, shortly before Rashford followed up his fizzing winner at the Parc des Prices with an opener against the German’s PSG side during that season’s Champions League group-stages (Sky Sports).
“The guy is a very young adult who takes his responsibility on and off the pitch very impressively. I have met him as an opponent three times and every time I’ve met a calm and humble guy and a nice person, which is amazing. I like this mixture a lot.”
That, perhaps, is the issue Tuchel may be most keen to solve should he get the nod by Ineos to take over at Old Trafford. Rashford’s self-confidence, and his ability to take a tight game by the scruff of it’s neck and produce match-changing moments, has diminished considerably during Thn Hag’s second season at the helm.
“For me personally, the sporting side (of his talent) clear,” added Tuchel, who guided PSG to the Champions League final back in 2020 and then won the thing at Chelsea a year later. “He’s a big threat with his speed, with his ability to score, with his determination and his finishing.
“He’s very precise, taking shots inside and outside of the box. He is super-rapid on counter-attacks and strong in the air with headers.
“He’s had a big impact and it’s nice to see guys like him from the academy having such a big impact in a big, big club like United.”
Manchester United ace needs to get back to his best
While there are some sections of the Man United support who have audibly given up on their homegrown former hero – he was reportedly booed by a minority after limping off against Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-finals – it would be a massive surprise if Ineos were to consider cashing in on a player who, on his day, remains one of the few genuine matchwinners in a Red Devils squad short of elite-level attacking quality.
But with his 27th birthday only a few months away, and with another manager potentially waiting in the wings, the task facing Ten Hag, Tuchel or whoever it may be won’t to help Rashford prove his talent but to showcase it on a far more regular basis.
“They can count on their excellent transitional play,” Tuchel said in September before taking on Man United again, this time on the Bayern Munich bench. “With Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and now also Rasmus Hojlund up front, we can’t switch off at all.”
‘Switching off’ is, perhaps, a fitting explanation as to why things have gone so bad so quickly for Rashford this season.
- READ MORE: Who is Marcus Rashford? Inside the life of Man Utd’s book-writing, government-tackling ace
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