Man Utd ‘main man’ under ‘more pressure than ever’ as mega-money flop is facing ‘bleak future’
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has been told that he is under “more pressure than ever” to perform as Erik ten Hag’s “main man”.
After struggling under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick in 2021/22, Rashford enjoyed a career resurgence last term as he grabbed 17 goals and assists in the Premier League.
Rashford has also enjoyed a strong start to this campaign as he has been involved in two goals in four league appearances.
The England international will need to perform to his best in the coming weeks as Man Utd are currently without Jadon Sancho and Antony.
Journalist Ben Jacobs has explained why he thinks Rashford is now under “more pressure than ever”.
“United have three wide elite attackers in Sancho, Antony and Greenwood who are all unavailable due to varying issues and it’s just incredible how this has all gone so wrong and it leaves the front line options so short of reliability and experience,” Jacobs told GiveMeSport.
“We know United can’t rely on Anthony Martial from a fitness or form perspective. Pellistri and Garnacho are young and should not have huge expectations on them. Rasmus Hojlund is just about to get started.
“All this basically means that there is more pressure than ever on Marcus Rashford to deliver. He’s already the main man but he’s only got one goal so far and this Brighton match is an occasion when his game-changing abilities are probably needed.
“The Sancho saga really could not have come at a worse time, United could probably have done with him now more than at any point so far in his time at the club – yet he’s off training on his own and his future looks bleak.”
Earlier this summer, Rashford told club legend Gary Neville that he prefers to play as a left-winger rather than as a striker.
“Left wing, although I feel like [as] centre forward you’ve got less distance to cover to score simple goals,” Rashford said via The Overlap.
“When you’re on the left wing, if you’re late working the back post sometimes its a 30-yard sprint. And if the striker pulls to the back and you’ve got to go across the front then its another 15 yards.”
He continued: “[Playing on the] left makes it easier to stay in the game. When I was younger I always wanted to be involved in the game and thats why I think I struggle with playing centre forward sometimes, because of my patience. You might not touch the ball for 20 minutes and then your first touch might be an opportunity to score.”
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