“Without the ball, he’s probably one of the worst” - Mark Hughes publicly slams Manchester United superstar
Former Wales forward Mark Hughes has qualified Manchester United superstar Marcus Rashford as one of the worst players in the Premier League out of possession. The football pundit claims that the 26-year-old needs to get more active on the ball and help his team defensively.
Marcus Rashford's struggles with Manchester United continue this season. The attacker came under intense scrutiny after putting up a mediocre performance in the 1-0 loss to Newcastle United at St. James Park on December 2.
He was placed on the bench by manager Erik ten Hag in their 2-1 win over Chelsea on Wednesday but made a cameo appearance in the second half. Unfortunately, the winger couldn't do any better, with both his offensive and defensive contributions leaving a lot to be desired.
Hughes believes Rashford isn't in his happy state this season. The former Manchester United forward suspects the forward has a lot going on off the pitch which is affecting his level of performance.
"I don’t think the players go out with the intention of not trying, that doesn’t happen, but I think Rashford has slipped back into the mindset that he had prior to last season – he doesn’t look happy," Hughes said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.
"He obviously had a lot going on outside the game which maybe took something away from him, and perhaps he just needs to focus back solely on what his role is when he’s asked to put on the shirt for Man United," he added.
The pundit went on to label Rashford as one of the worst players in the Premier League right now off the ball.
"Rashford is an outstanding talent and is one of the best in the league when it comes to taking someone on, but without the ball, he’s probably one of the worst. He’s got to sort that part out," he said.
Marcus Rashford is currently enduring his worst start to a season since becoming a Manchester United regular. The winger has scored just twice and provided four assists in 19 appearances in all competitions this season.
Manchester United need Marcus Rashford to get back to top form
Rashford was the top performer in Manchester United's squad last season, where he contributed an impressive 30 goals and 11 assists across all fronts. This season, however, the story has taken a different course.
Rashford appears to have lost his confidence totally and often seems to be lacking ideas on the pitch. This has resulted in him squandering a lot of chances and cutting a frustrated figure several times. His work rate has been highly questioned by fans and pundits.
Manchester United need a miracle to progress into the knockout phase of the Champions League as they sit at the bottom of their group. They are also sixth in the Premier League, nine points behind leaders Arsenal.
Hence, the Red Devils need their star forward to get back on track as soon as possible. On his day, Rashford is quite an unstoppable force upfront. There's no doubt the team will be greatly boosted if he returns to his peak level.