Ian Wright: 'Rashford is just a shadow of himself'

Former striker Ian Wright has called on Man Utd to help Marcus Rashford regain his form after disappointing in the 2-0 win over Wigan in the third round of the FA Cup.

"I think you can see from Rashford's attitude how he's gone downhill," Wright told ITV Sport . "We're talking about a player with potential and ability. I think this is the peak of his career, the moment he's going to take it to the next level. Rashford is working hard to do that. But at the moment, he doesn't know whether to pass or shoot."

Man Utd beat Championship side Wigan 2-0 in the third round of the FA Cup. But given the chances they created, they should have won by more. Rashford was one of the wasteful and underperforming players in the match at the DW Stadium on the evening of January 8 when Man Utd's two goals were scored by Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes.

Rashford in Man Utd's 2-0 win over Wigan on the evening of January 8. Photo: Every Second — Rashford in Man Utd's 2-0 win over Wigan on the evening of January 8. Photo: *Every Second*

Rashford played excellently last season. He scored 30 goals and contributed 11 assists in 56 appearances for Man Utd in all competitions. Of these, 17 were in the Premier League. The striker born in 1997 once declared that last year was the best season of his career and Man Utd fans expected Rashford to continue his form this season. But that did not happen. After 25 appearances in all competitions, the England striker scored only three goals and assisted six times.

"Rashford looks like he needs to be shaken up. The club or someone needs to talk to him. Rashford needs to reach the level expected of him. At the moment, he looks like a shadow of himself," Wright said.

Former Man Utd captain Roy Keane agrees with Wright's views. He said he also has high expectations for his junior and wants the player to play better.

"Rashford has a habit of holding the ball back and that makes it easier for defenders to defend. So he can only have one or two shots. Don't think we're just waiting to criticise. Look at his body language tonight. There were times when Rashford really disappointed me and hopefully his team-mates too. Someone tell Rashford that we expect more from him," Keane commented.

Similar to Rashford, rookie striker Rasmus Hojlund was also criticized for his finishing ability after missing a shot in the 29th minute. In this situation, Hojlund received the ball within reach after a cross from Alejandro Garnacho. But his header from a distance of only about 5m went over the bar.

Wright said Hojlund may have lost sleep over the miss, while manager Roberto Martinez was sympathetic, saying Hojlund always plays with determination and it would be unfair to judge him based on goals. However, Keane disputed this opinion, saying that bad luck cannot be blamed for such misses.

Duy Doan (according to Daily Mail )

Source link