Manchester United should insist on regular nightclub visits as part of a tailored programme to get Marcus Rashford firing again. A table reservation at Chinawhite does not tend to subtract from the sum of a person’s happiness. And a few spins around the dancefloor can be therapeutic and cardio enhancing, bringing Rashford back to his best in the shake of a hip.
Let’s be clear – Rashford is not a bad lad. This is the fella who single-handedly forced a U-turn on government policy to feed impoverished children. The celebration of his birthday at Manchester’s premier decompression chamber for footballers looked bad only because of the result in the derby. Had he been blue he would have been paraded as a conquering hero justifiably hanging out.
Rashford has been a shadow of himself this term, the burden of carrying a malfunctioning team stripped of confidence appears to have landed particularly heavily on his shoulders. Thirty goals last term, one this. With each match he has become increasingly desperate, trying too hard, making poor decisions, snatching at chances.
At his best Rashford can draw comparisons with Kylian Mbappe. At his worst he is a reincarnation of Bebe, a player who looked awkward in the presence of a ball and spent four years failing at United before the club ended his torment a decade ago. In any other circumstances Rashford might be sent away for a week to sit on a beach and refresh.
Something about the United environment is troubling him. Rashford does not need an invitation to look sombre. The difference in body language between him and Mohammed Salah, for example, is pronounced.
Salah could scoop one over the bar in front of the Kop from six yards and still laugh about it. He wears his gifts lightly and is not constrained by mishaps.
He knows the next chance is going in the back of the net. This is how confidence and belief work.
Rashford was a study in angst when he pulled his best chance wide of a post in the derby. It was a piece of rare brilliance, controlling the ball on his chest and sending Kyle Walker on holiday with his sharp turn.
Had he buried the chance, as he might have last year, United would have been back to one down, and if not back in the game, at least more in it than they were. He didn’t, triggering the old insecurities that drag on performance.
The optics associated with a nightclub outing are bad only if we choose to make it so. There is no necessary link between Rashford’s night out and outcomes. He is not a serial abuser of sleep patterns. He is not failing on the pitch because he is negligent in some way, or because he doesn’t care enough. Indeed the opposite is arguably the case. He cares too much and can’t get out of his own way.
Rashford is a sensitive soul and clearly in need of a reset. Not so easy when his manager, Erik ten Hag, is also struggling to cope in the most challenging of environments. The alternatives are either not good enough, Antony, or in exile, Jadon Sancho. Ten Hag has Alejandro Garnacho ready to step in but there are two wide spots to fill.
Rashford is not failing in isolation. United are a club in turmoil, owned by American financiers who are essentially disconnected from the process. Playing winning football is obviously preferable but not a priority. That would be maximising return on investment. The protracted sale of a portion of their investment to Sir Jim Ratcliffe is further evidence of that. This gives rise to a destabilised board and a disjointed leadership that impairs decision-making all the way through the club.
Rashford’s decision to party on his birthday was actually one of the better ones he has made this season. Carry on clubbing, son, and come back a better, more relaxed player. Goodness knows your team needs you.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/1CHyvsg
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