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After a nearly 40-goal season last year, Marcus Rashford has been a shadow of his former self this season.
Despite a wondergoal in the Manchester Derby, his overall performance has left a lot to be desired, again, and it has become a theme of the season for the Mancunian.
As one of the greatest strikers in Premier League history, Michael Owen would know a thing or two about a forward’s struggles with consistency.
In an exclusive interview with The Peoples Person hosted by Betideas, Owen said that one look at Rashford’s career trajectory highlights the fact that this season’s performances aren’t even unexpected.
Owen said: “Rashford’s career has been a little bit like that. He has shown that he can be amazing in one season then it dips. With great players, you expect great consistency but Marcus struggles with consistency for long periods.
“We all know how talented he is with his pace and skill level. He still remains United’s biggest attacking threat. The key is obviously getting him to perform at his top level again.”
Although Rashford has struggled for form, he hasn’t been alone in that malaise. The attack, as a whole, has been malfunctioning and the absence of Rasmus Hojlund has exacerbated it.
The holistic situation was not lost on Owen, who said Rashford would arguably do better in a more coherent attacking setup.
He said: “If Marcus Rashford went into the Manchester City team tomorrow, I’m sure you would see a much better performance on a more consistent basis.
“Manchester United, as a whole, are very inconsistent and he just typifies that inconsistency.”
A cursory look at the goal returns of United’s forwards like Antony or Alejandro Garnacho hammer home that point as no forward has looked regularly threatening in this season’s setup.
Regardless of the output, though, Rashford’s body language and visible show of frustration on the pitch has been a bone of contention with the fans.
Owen brushed aside suggestions of a lack of effort from Rashford, stressing his homegrown roots, something which the player did too in recent comments.
Owen said: “I’d be very hesitant to question somebody’s attitude or their commitment. I think that’s a really deep criticism. He was a Manchester United fan growing up.
“He knows, probably better than anybody, what that club means to a player. Consistency is a problem but that’s a team-wide problem.
“I can’t say one player who has always been top class. The whole team struggles with a consistent plan of attack so Marcus gets a lot of headlines but there are a lot of people you can point a finger at.”
Ultimately, only Rashford can silence the critics by seeking out the form which made him one of Europe’s hottest forwards last season.
The flashes of inspiration are beginning to reappear, as was seen in the Manchester Derby. The challenge now, as Owen said, is to string it all together and find complete performances.
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