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With Manchester United set to start their pre-season against Liverpool tomorrow, news on the issues Marcus Rashford faced last season, as well as how he’s aiming to fix them, has broken.
It was noted in a recent report from The Athletic that ahead of announcing his squad for England’s recent Nations League matches, Gareth Southgate took the time to personally meet Rashford to inform him he would not be in his team.
First calling ahead, Southgate and Rashford’s meeting allowed the manager to explain why the attacker remained out of the England team. A meeting is not something Southgate does for all his out of form players who miss out on the squad, yet he believed Rashford was worth making an effort for.
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This decision was, however, not to the surprise of Rashford, as the Manchester United forward had ‘accepted [he did not deserve a place’.
The last time Rashford played for England was the night he missed a vital penalty alongside now-United teammate Jadon Sancho and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka. The chances of Rashford returning to the England team ahead of this year’s World Cup now look slimmer than ever following a poor season from the forward.
However, though a chance to make his return for the national team may well mark an incentive for Rashford to produce a resurgence of his former form, his ‘immediate priority is to reinvent himself for United’.
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Under new manager Erik ten Hag, Rashford is aiming for a return to his very best, especially after already having what were described as ‘productive conversations’ with the new United boss.
Additionally, thanks to Rashford staying injury-free for the latter half of last season, he has been able to have a full summer to focus on his fitness for the first time in three years.
Rashford has also worked relentlessly in the United States over the summer, ensuring he was in the best shape possible for his return to the club.
Those around Rashford have repeatedly described his attitude as ‘serious’, with the aim of showing the world that he still deserves to be considered as a ‘category-A player’.
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Also, former Manchester United fitness specialist Robin Thorpe worked alongside Rashford this summer – Thorpe in particular was impressed by Rashford’s desire to regain his previous form.
Trying to get the United forward back to a place where he had to be one of the first names on the United team sheet, was something former Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick tried his utmost to achieve.
But, despite the intentions of Rangnick and his coaches, Rashford too often developed a habit of playing like a ‘ghost’. Something that Rangnick and his team failed to find a solution for, with the forward slipping below both Sancho, and Anthony Elanga in the squad rankings.
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It was also noted in the report that last season there were no reports of behavioral issues regarding Rashford. In training it was quite the opposite, with the forward constantly willing to take part in extra sessions, both physical and video related.
Rangnick found that on matchdays, he was unable to get through to Rashford what he wanted from the attacker.
The new Austria manager determined that Rashford did not take on board instructions, with it becoming clear at times that the Englishman was not doing as they discussed. In particular his decision making in the attacking end of the pitch was regarded as 'erratic'.
Rashford, who rushed back from injury almost two months ahead of the time suggested to him by specialists following successful shoulder surgery, returned to the team for one of then manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s final games as United boss.
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Rashford saw himself as ready to play 90 minutes of Premier League football on a physical level, yet felt mentally he wasn’t at full match sharpness. The report notes that as a result of this, he requested Solskjaer play him from start to finish for three games in a row. Instead, he made seven appearances under the Norwegian last season before he was sacked, none of which saw Rashford play a full 90.
Rashford reportedly made the same request to Ralf Rangnick upon the Austrian’s appointment, a request that was yet again denied.
It is said that Rangnick was of the belief that an ‘elite player should not need this kind of special treatment’. Rashford would ultimately play 90 minutes of football just twice under Rangnick, despite making 22 appearances under the manager.
Additionally, Rashford raised his concerns in the latter half of the season that he would be better utilized playing on the left, not the right. Under Rangnick, Rashford made just five starts on the left side, despite being of the belief ‘that he can be among the best players in Europe’ on that side.
Rangnick however made it clear that he had never told Rashford to stick rigidly to one side, and it was on Rashford if he couldn’t make it work.
The report also made three things clear. Firstly, both Rashford and Jadon Sancho were pained by their inability to form a strong connection with wantaway striker Cristiano Ronaldo. With Ronaldo constantly wanting the ball, the pair were regularly found guilty of trying to get the ball to the Portuguese international, ahead of better options.
Rashford also holds a great deal of frustration regarding the suggestion that his off the field work has come at the cost of his on the field performances. Numerous sources who The Athletic spoke with said that ‘this part of his life is not seen as a problem’.
With the height of his activism coming around the same time as his best performances across the last few years, the idea that one comes at the detriment of the other was dismissed.
Finally, it was confirmed that Rashford did consider leaving United back in March, questioning whether his future could lie in Spain.
If Rashford is to find his feet in Manchester yet again, he is placing himself in the best possible position to do so. Alongside his own personal training, new boss Ten Hag has devoted large portions of his time to watching footage of United from last season.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Marcus Rashford, Ralf Rangnick, Erik Ten Hag, Cristiano Ronaldo, Football