Rash-Back? Rashford Open To Return To United

Rash-Back? Rashford Open To Return To United

I'll always have a soft spot for Marcus Rashford.

I watched him break through against Midtjylland in the Europa League with two goals on his senior debut, then score two more against Arsenal in the Prem the following match. From being devastating on the counter, to hitting worldie free kicks, to scoring 30 goals in Erik ten Hag's third-place campaign — the last time United finished in the top four — he was the quintessential post-Fergie player. Full of promise, frustrating but exciting, delivering unforgettable moments (THAT free kick vs. Chelsea, THAT penalty vs. PSG) while largely failing to reach the lofty standards we held him to.

And a lot of that wasn't his fault. It was the mismanagement of the club by the owners and the people they put in charge.

People forget the only reason we bought Bruno is because Rashford played through the pain until it became a stress fracture in his back — an injury Robin van Persie said would change him for the rest of his career. A player that reliant on pace and athleticism was always going to be slowly robbed of what made him special. Nobody really knows what kind of pain he plays with. Every pro manages something, but a spine injury isn't exactly common.

Still, the off-pitch stuff (Dublin, the rest) and his lack of work rate in recent seasons haven't endeared him to the fanbase. He's frankly not the star we expected, and not the young kid full of energy and potential we remember. But he's a seasoned pro with elite ball-striking who can produce the killer pass or finish in a single moment — and with the attacking quality we already have, he could thrive in a reduced role. If he's willing to play that role in the first place.

The Case Against

Everything I just said. An aging, fading player on huge wages who doesn't graft and might be a distraction in the dressing room and outside it. What kind of example does that set for the younger lads? What does it say to the academy graduates currently watching Garnacho and Rashford — two of the most heralded products we've produced in a generation — eat humble pie at other clubs?

And the worst-case on the pitch: he disrupts a squad finally full of grafters and breeds resentment — players watching someone who won't run as hard as they do pick up minutes on the promise of a goal or assist.

The Case For

Best case: he comes back for a couple of years, provides real quality off the bench, isn't asked to carry the team the way he was before, and becomes a bridge (alongside Cunha) to JJ Gabriel on the left wing.

He's also a genuinely versatile forward — both flanks and through the middle if needed — which means he gives you pace and playmaking you can slot into multiple positions. And he's an unselfish player. He'll square the ball to a teammate in a better spot rather than force his own shot. When he's doing the things he needs to do on and off the pitch, he's a very useful footballer.

There's a cultural case too. As an academy grad, he's someone the fanbase and the community have a real connection to. And if he's done some growing up over the last year, he could be an example and a cautionary tale in one: work hard and look where you can get to; stop working hard and look what happens. The club winning the league again with Rashford as a contributor would feel poetic in a way nothing else in this rebuild would.

The Verdict

My head says it's time for Rashford to move on. If the reports are to be believed — and who knows, this could just be gamesmanship between United and Barcelona over a measly £26m (~€30m) fee, and if you want to know my opinion, see the clip below

but it’s looking increasingly like he won’t be here next year.

A season in Serie A (aka the Unc League) could re-ignite him, and he could end up on a side that actually wins a league and challenges in the Champions League.

If you asked my heart which post-Fergie player I'd most want to see lift a title, it's Bruno 1 and Rashy 2. I know it ended poorly, but he carried our hopes and dreams as a local lad who's been at this club since he was nine. And as I said, the fact that he never reached the heights we wanted wasn't all on him. He was playing for a badly run club that couldn't build a squad capable of taking advantage of its talent, and couldn't match the ambition of Chelsea or City consistently enough to matter.

Gut feeling? This doesn't happen. Head says no, heart says yes. Unfortunately that's 2–1.

But screw it. Football's about heart, not rationality.

Bring back Rashy.