Marcus Rashford Not A ‘World-Class Striker’ Says Former Manchester United Star
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Marcus Rashford is not yet a "world-class striker" and needs to become a "different animal" to fulfil that role according to former Manchester United player Louis Saha.
The 23-year-old has 10 goals in 18 club games this season. But Saha - while praising Rashford's all-round play - says that he needs to become more "deadly" in order to maximise his scoring ability.
"Marcus Rashford is a world-class forward but he isn't yet a world-class striker," Saha told Genting Bet per The Mirror.
"When you look around the world, there aren't many players playing for big clubs such as Manchester United and [who can also] perform on a big stage with his country.
"But Rashford can do whatever you want from him. He can defend when you need to and he can actually attack and create his own goals, score free-kicks. He's a top forward.
"A striker is a different animal, a striker is someone who is really eager and you can see in his face that they want to score all the time and will focus on how to maximise the position where he can score.
"They won't try to find that kind of 'nice look', a striker is just deadly."
Saha signed for Manchester United in 2003 and scored 42 goals in four-and-a-half seasons but struggled with persistent injuries.
His point regarding Rashford is that the versatile England attacker can fulfil various roles in attack. But that if he wants to become a true out-and-out striker, he'll need to copy the example of some of the best.
"This is what I learnt from playing with the likes of [Ruud] van Nistelrooy and David Trezeguet," said the former France international Saha.
"Rashford still has the youth and the potential to do it - as Cristiano [Ronaldo] started in a certain position and now is the best striker you can ever imagine.
"Being a striker is an attitude and they obsess about scoring goals, they're going to shout at any player that doesn't give them the ball and you shout to yourself because you miss a goal."
Basically what Saha is saying is that Rashford needs to become more selfish in front of goal in order to become a great striker.
However his numbers are heading in the right direction: his 22 goals in 44 games last season was his best return and his ratio is better than that this term.
One striker not having a good season is Anthony Martial, who's yet to score in the Premier League. Saha praised his fellow Frenchman's all-round level of skill but explained that he lacks consistency.
"Anthony Martial has reached a level of skill and I didn't see it coming," he said. "He's really gifted in many areas and being a striker is one, but it's about consistency - you have to score and you have to have that desire to score all the time.
"You'll have moments where you don't do it but it doesn't matter because you're still making the same runs. I think that he has definitely shown quality but obviously we always want more from a player like him."
All imagery: PA Images
