‘Jack Grealish and Phil Foden spared’ as Marcus Rashford hammered at Man United
Man United forward Marcus Rashford continues to make headlines for the wrong reasons but other big-name players at rival clubs are escaping the same level of criticism.
The Red Devils are thought to be ready to sell their academy graduate for a cut-price of £40 million after another drop in form.
Although Rashford hasn’t been as prolific this season, he has still scored a respectable seven goals in all competitions.
However, it seems he often bears the brunt of the blame for the struggles at Old Trafford, when there are numerous underlying issues with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s reign, yet the Englishman continues to receive criticism while other big names in the same city go largely untouched.
Pep Guardiola focus shield Man City stars over Man United ace
Angelina Kelly discussed this topic on talkSPORT, and pointed to a pair of fellow England internationals at Man City who can hardly claim to be firing on all cylinders.
She noted that players like Jack Grealish and Phil Foden don’t receive as much criticism as Rashford, despite the champions going through an unprecedented slump.
And it’s hard to argue against that. Grealish has gone goalless in 44 games this calendar year, yet their fans continue to praise him for his performances.
It seems Foden isn’t being trusted as much by Pep Guardiola, as he wasn’t even brought off the bench during City’s 2-0 loss to Juventus on 11 December after his return from injury. He has yet to score in the league this season.
Kelly mentioned how impressive the City graduate was last season but noted the “drop off” in his form. However that has gone under the radar compared to the regular criticism of Rashford.
The reasons behind this disparity may never be clear. Perhaps the United graduate is held to a higher standard simply because he plays for Man United. But he would still be “a hell of a signing” for any top club in world football.
Meanwhile, Guardiola himself has received more criticism for recent performances in a run of one win in 10 matches. Thus he may be shielding the form of his those players, whether by accident or design. Some fans have even called for his sacking, and regularly switching the likes of Grealish in and out of the XI may be part of it.
While form has to be considered, hitting just eight goals last season represents a poor return by Rashford’s standards, especially when he is almost ever-present under multiple managers.
Perhaps he simply needs that change—a new manager or a fresh atmosphere—to rediscover his best form, but he hardly seems like the only one.
In other news, Mason Mount sends message to supporters ahead of the Manchester derby.
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