It is happening again. Part of the reason Marcus Rashford left these shores, having been revered as a saviour of impoverished children not so long ago, was to escape the scrutiny those closest to him believed constituted bullying.
Rashford had made mistakes, burned too many bridges with his behaviour at Manchester United so fled to Spain, like many disgruntled Britons, seeking a new life.
Barcelona offered him that sanctuary, an opportunity to rebuild a career away from every misstep making national headlines.
Yet, here we are once again, with former players labelling him a “disgrace”, one he “cannot feel happy for”, after committing the most unforgivable, cardinal sin of *checks notes* turning up two minutes late for training, once.
Those quotes coming from Paul Scholes, a shy, introverted character who did everything he could to live the quiet life as a footballer, makes them all the more disheartening.
"His attitude was disgraceful!"
— The Good, The Bad & The Football (@goodbadftblpod) September 22, 2025
Paul Scholes has had ENOUGH of Marcus Rashford!pic.twitter.com/UKOrJAcEHs
Scholes is no stranger to speaking his mind, and when you have a new podcast to promote, it is actively encouraged. But knowing what Rashford has been subjected to on social media and face to face, dredging up previous misdemeanours, dragging his name through the mud for engagement purposes, is out of line.
Ex-players’ words resonate and Scholes will know this. Anger towards Rashford does not need much spark to reignite at the first opportunity.
It should be a week we are celebrating the return of a Rashford who threatened to have the talent to lead United out of their perennial slumber. It wasn’t just the fact he scored twice at St James’ Park to put Newcastle to the sword in the Champions League, it was the manner of his second strike – a ferocious thunderbolt that nearly took the net off, that gave those who actually want him to succeed hope.
Nope, back to the gutter. Rashford was dropped for Barcelona’s next league match for being late for training – a fitting punishment – before coming off the bench to register a fine assist in a 3-0 win at Getafe. Reporting of the incident is of public interest. What is not is revisiting old tropes for personal gain.
“I really struggled to feel happy for him, to feel pleased for him,” Scholes told The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.
“Mainly because of his attitude, his attitude at United. The time he was leaving, I thought it was just disgrace at United, not trying, basically.
“The amount of times I saw him at United walking because he wants to leave, I thought his whole demeanour was a disgrace.”
Walking. Words are powerful in the vitriolic world of football fandom. Rashford hasn’t kicked a ball for United in 10 months, yet back we go to analysing his effort, or lack thereof.
Statistically, Matheus Cunha spent more time walking than any other player in the Premier League last season. The perception around Old Trafford of the summer signing, however, is that he is the swashbuckling Roy of the Rovers, here to drag United forward with his unrelenting, high-octane style.
Your next read
The eye sees what the eye wants to see. If we wanted to find clips of Mohamed Salah walking, we could, on multiple occasions, every game. Of course Rashford was demoralised. Fellow Mancunians, at his boyhood club, were turning on him. And everything he did, former players – who should know better – were ready to pounce upon.
The reality is, of course, very different. Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick insisted he wasn’t surprised to see Rashford arrowing stunning goals into Tyneside nets, given how impressed he was with what the loanee was doing in training on a daily basis. The reality doesn’t promote new podcasts, though.
Rashford remains an obsession, one that is verging on the bizarre. There’s plenty to lament about the current United squad without returning to target those who have tried to escape the circus. When the same figure keeps being pursued, those bullying claims hold resonance.
Can’t we just leave him alone to start again? If Scholes cannot feel happy for a fellow footballer trying to do that, then he should just keep it to himself.
from Football - The i Paper https://ift.tt/Cl35XiP
Post a Comment