Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford put in a rather abject performance as the Red Devils scraped through in their FA Cup third-round tie against Aston Villa last night.
The 24-year-old has been struggling for form and confidence in recent months, with some supporters on Twitter calling for him to be taken out of the firing line:
He aint trying
— Nat🏴🇯🇲🔴🔰 (@nat90HJ) January 10, 2022
He needs to be dropped. Make it hard for him and he’ll get back to form. Rashford best plays have came when he was under pressure in Mourinho’s time. This Rashford 10 is just a politician and food merchant. Rashford 19 was a beast!🔥
— Arizona Flakes 🎄 (@Mustard_5) January 11, 2022
Doesn’t look happy anymore. Dk what’s up with him
— dyl (@utddyls) January 10, 2022
Start lingard
— HEEM (@RAHEEM_heem) January 10, 2022
Mental block
— Haris 💫 (@UtdHaris) January 10, 2022
Looks like something’s distracting him, all game, just off the pace
— Local Man (@localmanszn) January 10, 2022
Rashford’s form needs divine intervention.
— UTDJuice (@UtdJuice) January 10, 2022
Bench him.
— Young King Favour (@YoungKingFavou2) January 10, 2022
Rashford isn’t himself lately should be dropped for a while let him work some things out.
— Faisal (@Fasooly92725) January 11, 2022
Rashford’s numbers this season are not particularly great. Three goals and only one assist in 15 appearances shows a player whose standards have dropped considerably.
There are mitigating factors, of course. Rashford had shoulder surgery in the summer, and it was always going to take some time for the England international to get back to his best.
However, it seems his current problems are not physical but mental. He is not making the forward runs that he used to and he rarely takes on a defender one-on-one. Hopefully, he can get past this slump quickly.
