Marcus Rashford is in big trouble at Manchester United

Marcus Rashford Manchester United

Marcus Rashford has scored just one goal for Manchester United this season as Brentford clash looms

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Jack Otway

By Jack Otway


Published: 07/10/2023

- 11:31

The England international has scored just one goal from nine appearances so far this season

Ahead of Manchester United's Premier League clash with Brentford, Erik ten Hag has a big decision to make.

Marcus Rashford was outstanding last season, with the England international's 30 goals across all competitions propelling them to Carabao Cup glory and a third-placed finish in the Premier League.


That form was enough for United to give the 25-year-old a bumper new deal to ward off interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

It seemed a no-brainer at the time, with the forward now pocketing £375,000 every seven days.

Marcus Rashford Manchester United

Marcus Rashford toiled for Manchester United as they lost to Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday night

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Fast-forward to now, however, and Rashford is a shadow of the player that terrorised defences last season.

Big things were expected of the player at the beginning of the campaign, with United previously hoping to challenge fierce rivals Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool for the Premier League table.

But Rashford has toiled during the early embers of the campaign - much to the ire of fans online.

United supporters have started to grow accustomed to players' form waning in the aftermath of being given the big bucks.

David De Gea became their top earner in 2019 after years of saving the club following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.

But the Spain international was never the same and left this summer with many feeling United had made the right, albeit ruthless call.

Before that, who could forget about Alexis Sanchez?

Sanchez was given £400,000-a-week upon touching down from Arsenal back in the January transfer window of 2018.

But that upset players inside the Old Trafford dressing room and, with just five goals to his name, never lived up to the hype.

Sanchez even later admitted that he'd wanted to leave United after his first training session.

Of course, he stunk the place out for 18 months before eventually leaving for Serie A giants Inter Milan.

Paul Pogba had been United's best-paid player prior to Sanchez's arrival, having returned from Juventus in 2016.

But his ego outweighed his talent and he departed last year having never scaled the heights many had expected of him.

Rashford seems to have lost his mojo and confidence, something that was evident as United lost 3-2 to Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

He had a great opportunity to score during that match but, perhaps burdened by the criticism surrounding him, opted to try and pass to Rasmus Hojlund instead.

While Hojlund would net twice, United lost that match and now face being dumped out of the Champions League in the group stages of the competition.

According to The Sun, Rashford faces being dropped for United's showdown with Brentford on Saturday.

And with Alejandro Garnacho waiting in the wings, the Red Devils' highest-earner could now face some time on the bench.

Certainly, that isn't what anybody envisaged when Rashford committed his future to the club.

Ten Hag is, however, refusing to criticise Rashford amid his poor run of form.

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Manchester United Alejandro Garnacho

Manchester United have Alejandro Garnacho waiting in the wings to replace Marcus Rashford ahead of Brentford clash

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Speaking before the match with Brentford, he said: “There is the team and him — and there’s both.

“It’s normal that you are not always right in the same levels. Everyone knows his qualities. We’ve seen he is getting in good positions.

“He is struggling but it will pass.

“Everyone at United backs him, the whole team supports him and believes in him. I am sure with that it will change.

“Strikers, when they don’t score for a moment, they need one goal, then they step over. It will come. The momentum will come and he will be on fire.”

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