Rashford’s Critics Miss the Point – Keane, Neville and Rooney Still Judge Him by the Old Manchester United
We wonder how great the England international will have to be for club and country for the not-so-merry band of Red Devils pundits to side with him over the club they’re normally willing to admit has become a laughing stock since their playing days.
As former Manchester United players continue to “hit back,” “dismiss,” and “baulk” at Marcus Rashford’s suggestions that his boyhood club was the issue rather than what they perceive to be a lack of effort on his part.
Rashford has three goals and five assists for Barcelona this season after making an impression while on loan at Aston Villa in the second half of the previous campaign.
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Rashford’s performances are now seen as evidence of the corrupt core of the football team he left in the summer, following some all too typical knee-jerk media drivel that claimed the La Liga giants were thinking of sending him back to United after his first few games.
However, that’s a far harder idea for your Wayne Rooneys, Roy Keanes, and Gary Nevilles to embrace.
When Rashford moved to Barcelona in the summer, he infuriated Neville by saying that United was in “no man’s land” and that “the transition hasn’t started.” “That should be disregarded,” Neville added.
I don’t want to discuss Marcus Rashford’s remarks tonight. He had the chance to influence the club throughout his ten years there. I believe Ruben Amorim will perform well this year. Marcus needs to focus on Barcelona.
“Do you think he’s got enough football intelligence to go over there and adapt to a different league, different football, different lifestyle?” Keane then said, in reference to Rashford’s “intelligence” to flourish at Barcelona. Does he possess the intelligence to succeed both on and off the pitch?
In response to Thomas Tuchel’s assertion that Rashford’s lack of consistency is the only thing keeping him from being regarded as a world-class talent, the player himself drew the following simple hypothesis:
Rashford does, in fact, have the football acumen necessary to succeed at Barcelona, despite the fact that we may feel compelled to note that his career has been plagued by false dawns and inconsistency.
“Undoubtedly, a significant component of it is consistency,” Rashford stated. It is especially harder for me to remain consistent because I feel like I have been in an inconsistent atmosphere for a long time.
“Consistent factors in your life and training methods are necessary to be consistent in anything, not just sports,” the speaker said. My career has already seen a lot of changes.
Keane and Wayne Rooney, both Manchester United captains who set an example with their work ethic and performance at Old Trafford, cannot imagine a scenario in which the atmosphere at their football team has deteriorated to the point where a player like Rashford isn’t giving it his all every week.
There were clearly problems at the end of his tenure at United. Keane responded to Rashford’s remarks by saying, “He was a part of the environment problem, especially one of the most experienced players at United.”
“He ought to have been establishing the bar and demonstrating to newcomers what it means to be a United player.”
However, that has been extensively documented. We must consider the fact that he earned this opportunity with England.
“His talent is undeniable; he is truly amazing.” However, his body language—not running back or pressing properly—is what would have irritated fans.
He needs to clean up those things, and if he does, there is no reason why he can’t become a top-tier player.
Rooney concurred with Keane, saying Rashford should examine himself instead of pointing the finger onto United.
“I think the environment hasn’t been right, but that is down to you,” he stated during the most recent episode of The Wayne Rooney Show.
“Whether it is correct or not, I believe it is simpler to place the blame on the surroundings when you are not performing well or are left off the team. That, in my opinion, depends on your level of effort.
“We know he can run more and do more in games we’ve seen him play, and that has nothing to do with the surroundings.”
I may be mistaken, but I think that is a simple insult to make, even though I truly admire Marcus as a person and as a boy.
The sluggishness, derision, and gloom that Rashford had to face at the club, however, were not shared by any of these United greats, who won innumerable big trophies in a setting where everyone encouraged one another to succeed and get better.
The only difference between his Manchester United and theirs was the name. And when talking to the manager, the directors, and the club’s whole culture about performance, results, and issues, they are more than happy to accept that.
But somehow, it’s impossible to imagine how all of that turmoil could make a football player struggle for consistency.
It makes us question a) how reliable they might have been at United over the past 10 years as opposed to the previous two, and b) whether Rashford level of skill at Barcelona will be sufficient for them to acknowledge that United, not him, was the issue.
