Home » Marcus Rashford: Past players, new contract, and poor form make up perfect storm

Marcus Rashford: Past players, new contract, and poor form make up perfect storm

by Zoe Hodges

Marcus Rashford looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders as United narrowly beat Aston Villa on Monday night with the forward being criticised for a couple of rebounds he failed to attack.

In his post-match interview on Monday night, Ralf Rangnick said he didn’t know why Rashford was experiencing a dip in form of late, causing fans further worry.

However, as The Times pointed out, there has been a lot of upheaval at United since Rashford broke into the team in 2016 and none more so than this year. He has played five different positions in four different systems.

United’s number 10 has been plagued with injuries too and is only just returning to full fitness now. Last season he played through a double stress fracture on his back, a foot injury which caused swelling that was so bad he struggled to get his boots on, and a shoulder injury which he had surgery on in the summer.

The Telegraph state he would spend 12 hours a day at Carrington fighting to get back to full fitness, so any talk of the United man not being dedicated to his club can easily be refuted.

After his penalty disappointment in the final of the Euro’s, a number of past players reportedly reached out to the youngster – Alan Shearer, Paul Ince and David Beckham.

It’s said he expressed interest in keeping up those conversations at the time, knowing he could learn from their experiences and that they would understand the difficult spell he was going through. Perhaps those players again could hold the key for Rashford as he picks himself up and works to get back to his scoring ways.

Former United man Dimitar Berbatov suggested the star should seek advice from Cristiano Ronaldo. The experienced forward, who strives to be the best, will surely have some tips for Rashford.

Another dilemma facing both Rangnick and the 24 year old is his contract. With 18 months left on his current £200,000-a-week deal (with a further year extension clause), negotiations are expected to begin before the end of the season.

Rashford has always maintained his loyalty to his boyhood club but with an unexplained dip in form and his confidence at an all-time low, some have questioned whether he is completely happy at Old Trafford.

A lot could depend on whoever the Reds get in the summer as their new manager. One name that crops up a lot is Mauricio Pochettino who is said to be a big admirer of the English striker. A manager like that who understand and could nurture his talent may encourage him to stick it out at the Theatre of Dreams.

The Times state PSG had the player as the top of their list in regards to a potential Kylian Mbappe replacement.

Rangnick seems to have every faith in Rashford, noting how hard he works at Carrington but what will it take for Rashford to get himself out of this blip and back onto the scoresheet?

ESPN claim the Englishman will be handed a new deal as the club are determined to not allow a Paul Pogba situation to reoccur, and they are confident he wants to commit his future to the club.

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