Man Utd warned that they have another Lingard situation after ‘worst mistake ever’

Joe Williams
Man Utd stars Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford
Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford have a joke before a Premier League match.

Man Utd have been warned that they have another Jesse Lingard situation on their hands with Marcus Rashford , according to former Premier League manager Sam Allardyce.

The Red Devils are struggling to score goals this season with only four Premier League sides scoring fewer goals than Man Utd this season.

Man Utd are currently 15th in the Premier League table and allowed one of their most lethal attackers in Rashford leave the club in the January transfer window.

Rashford completed a loan move late in the window to Premier League rivals Aston Villa with the Villans reportedly having a chance to complete a summer move for £40m.

Allardyce reckons we might see the best version of Rashford at Aston Villa after the England international contributed two assists in their recent win over Chelsea.

Former Premier League manager Allardyce said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast: “He [Rashford] doesn’t fit into that type of system.

“He’s got to prove himself for the first time in a long time. As a kid, he had to prove himself by being good enough to break into United’s first team, now he has to prove himself to the Aston Villa players.

“He’s going out there with a new manager and new teammates and that’s got to inspire him, rather than languishing at Man United.”

MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a ‘dinosaur’ and ‘asset-stripper’ pulling Man Utd apart…
👉 Tunnel bust-up: Everton star told Man Utd man to ‘get out’ of dressing-room area in sweary dig
👉 Ten cost-cutting/money-spinning ideas for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Man Utd penny-pinchers

Former Man Utd academy graduate Lingard struggled to reach his potential at the Red Devils and now plays for South Korean club FC Seoul.

And Rashford’s situation at Man Utd has reminded Allardyce of the same situation Lingard was in with the winger eventually turning down a permanent move to West Ham in favour of staying at Old Trafford.

Allardyce added: “It reminds me of Jesse Lingard, he was languishing at Man United and then Moyes rescued him.

“Lingard made the worst mistake ever not going with Moyes to West Ham. He went to Forest and just petered out again and now he’s somewhere obscure in South Korea.

“This was an England international player in his early 20s. Players moving is the biggest thing you can do.

“If you’re stagnating at your football club, pack your bag and move on, because your football career will soon be finished before you know it.”

Former Brighton striker Glenn Murray still thinks Rashford needs to boost his fitness levels to have the desired long-term impact at Aston Villa.

Murray said on Sky Sports: “I wouldn’t say he’s back yet, definitely more positive, and when he’s playing he’s impacting the game in a positive manner without any doubt.

“I quite like how he works with [Ollie] Watkins, how he can flip into that nine [striker position]. Watkins is just as comfortable going out to the left.

“Listen, I think he [Rashford] needs to get his fitness up, I don’t think his high-pressing actions are as good as others on the pitch so that’s something that he needs to work on if he’s gonna play regularly for Emery. But definitely, Marcus Rashford looks a lot happier.”