Marcus Rashford slammed over ‘damning’ Aston Villa situation since Man United exit
Marcus Rashford’s upturn in form since leaving Man United for Aston Villa is a “damning indication” of the player, says Simon Jordan.
The former Crystal Palace chairman has questioned the mentality of the 27-year-old if he is able to perform for Unai Emery’s side, but not while under the pressure of being at Old Trafford.
After Rashford had fallen out with Man United manager Unai Emery, he left the club to move to Villa Park on loan for the rest of the season at the start of February.
He has since produced a number of excellent performances that have left Aston Villa fans calling for Rashford to be signed permanently.
However, there are some who have a different perspective on the improvement from the attacker since he made his move.
Simon Jordan takes different Marcus Rashford view
On Friday (14 March), Thomas Tuchel will name his first squad since being named England manager, ahead of the World Cup qualifiers with Albania and Latvia.
Amid his recent impact for Aston Villa, there has been some debate about whether Rashford should be recalled for England, with the attacker having not featured in a Three Lions squad since March 2024.
Jordan though believes that he, and others such as Jadon Sancho and Antony who have improved since leaving Man United, may have bigger long-term issues to worry about.
| Marcus Rashford for Aston Villa | Total (as per Transfermarkt) |
| Appearances | 9 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 4 |
| Minutes Played | 461 |
After being asked on talkSPORT if he thinks Rashford has done enough to attract the interest of Tuchel when he names his squad, Jordan said: “I think most people would have thought that it was inevitable that Rashford was going to go out and lift a leg.
“Because if he didn’t, what was going to happen to him? He was toast, he could sit around picking up his money but as a footballer it was going to be challenging for him.
“So I take no real understanding of what Rashford’s going to do in the longer game from his short-term burst at Aston Villa where he’s away from the awful, dreadful environment that Manchester United is.
“All these players like Antony and [Jadon] Sancho and Rashford are so much more successful somewhere else in a very short space of time without having the responsibilities or pressures that possibly come for playing for arguably the biggest club in the world.
“I think it’s a damning indication of them, rather than a reflection of what Manchester United is. So Rashford playing well at Aston Villa, oh so what?
“He’s played a few games at Aston Villa. Has he banged in ten goals or something? Have I missed something?
“He’s run about with a smile on his face and taken on a few players and looked a bit lively.”
Man United may have questions of their own to answer
Football Insider Verdict
As Jordan says, Rashford would have slipped further into the footballing wilderness had he not improved after making the move to Aston Villa.
It will therefore now be frustrating for those watching on at Man United to see him produce what they could not get out of him at Old Trafford recently.
But as Jordan has pointed out by namechecking the likes of Sancho and Antony as well, Rashford is not the only whose football has benefitted from an exit from Ruben Amorim’s side.
The fact this is not a one-off case may therefore mean that Man United may need to look into why it is the case that players are not thriving there, but are after moves to other clubs.
Of course in the wake of this, suggestions Rashford’s form is making him “unbuyable” for Aston Villa may be a concern for him, since it increases the chances of him having to return to Old Trafford this summer.