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A season of false dawns at Manchester United got its latest entry as Erik ten Hag’s side put on a horrific display to scrape a draw at Brentford.
The Red Devils were under the cosh for arguably the whole game and Mason Mount’s late goal would have been a smash-and-grab winner had the Bees not equalised.
While no player in particular, except for a competent display by Andre Onana, covered himself in glory such was the performance, a theme of this season continued.
Marcus Rashford again held the flag for one of the most underwhelming players on the pitch.
The regular complaints fans have of him- that he doesn’t work hard off the ball, lacks world-class decision-making and drops his shoulders when things aren’t going his way- were all on display here.
The stats will show a player who was secure in possession and tried hard for the team but without context, they paint the wrong picture.
He completed 37/39 passes but most of them came when he ran straight into a defender and just passed backwards.
More infuriatingly, he didn’t pass when the opening was present instead, chose to dawdle on the ball aimlessly till the opposition set themselves in shape, and killed off the rare attacks United managed.
That’s to speak nothing about his defensive contribution, which would still be doing more than what he actually contributes defensively.
It is not a coincidence that barring Luke Shaw, whose otherworldly athleticism helps him secure the whole flank on his own, no other left-back has looked remotely comfortable.
Victor Lindelof, Sofyan Amrabat, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are not natural at the position, which means they need even more help from the left winger to avoid being outnumbered.
Instead, Rashford can regularly be seen making ceremonial efforts to “track back”, only to be bypassed by a simple one or two at which point he considers his job to be done.
All of these traits were on display vs Brentford as well and after getting a new contract in the summer, the excuses have firmly run out for him.
Actions speak louder than words and considering his performances this season, words are all that he has in his corner, be it written or spoken.
A decision needs to be made on his place in the team because he can no longer be indispensable.
If Ten Hag has firmly hitched his wagon to Rashford, then he might be the player who ends up getting him sacked.
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