Marcus Rashford has been handed a blunt reminder about what it will take to make his Manchester United comeback work.
Former Manchester United midfielder Gordon Strachan believes Rashford cannot expect his past performances to carry the same weight anymore. The 28-year-old spent last season away from Old Trafford, first at Aston Villa and then Barcelona, before returning to Manchester this summer.
Marcus Rashford has plenty of history with Manchester United. He has made 428 appearances for the club and scored 128 goals. But Strachan’s view is that none of that guarantees him anything now.
Strachan says Marcus Rashford must prove himself again
Speaking to GOAL, Strachan explained why he wasn’t surprised by the lack of serious interest in Marcus Rashford during the summer.
“It doesn’t surprise me. No, no. Because I think it’s all a bit… Signing players and having players is all a bit immediate.”
For Strachan, clubs cannot make decisions based on what a player produced several seasons ago.
“You can’t be signing players on what they did two years ago. It’s impossible to do that.”
Rashford’s wages are another part of the problem, according to the former Manchester United midfielder.
“That player’s got to be successful.”
There is also the wider attention that follows Rashford whenever he doesn’t play. Strachan believes that can become an issue for any manager handling him, including Michael Carrick.
“If you go to Barcelona, and it’s not a Barcelona team of years ago, with any Xavi and Messi. It’s a Barcelona side that’s a good Barcelona. He’s not got a game there.”
Strachan feels that situation creates questions which can become a distraction.
“If you go to Barcelona… He’s basically been a sub for the last two years. You really want that in your team?”
Marcus Rashford has to move away from his past
Strachan’s main argument is that Rashford needs to stop being judged on what he was and start being judged on what he produces now.
“There’s a lot of media attention to what he was as a player three years ago. That’s up to Marcus Rashford to sort that out and deal with it himself. And to make himself a player of now, rather than two or three years ago. You have to be a now player.”
That isn’t a claim that Rashford lacks ability. Strachan still sees plenty of talent there. His issue is consistency and turning that talent into regular production.
“There’s a talent there. There’s absolutely a talent there. You can’t be a consistent talent if you’ve got that game. You can’t be in the game all the time. His job is to score goals and make goals.”
The comparison with new signings is telling. Strachan points out that clubs are increasingly willing to spend big money on players who are producing right now, even when their names aren’t as familiar.
That could be Rashford’s biggest challenge at Manchester United.
Michael Carrick has brought him back into the fold, and Rashford has already been given another chance to show what he can do. But the competition for places won’t care about reputation.
Marcus Rashford has already shown what he can be. Now he has to show it again, week after week. That is probably the biggest challenge of all.
