Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has “incredible” abilities and should spend “hour after hour” watching DVD highlights of his best performances, Lee Sharpe believes as his former side target back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.
Former England international Rashford scored his first goal of the season as United won 3-0 at Southampton last Saturday to recover from defeats to Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool with their first away victory of the campaign.
“He’s one of the most exciting talents in the league when he’s in full flow and we’ve missed that – we’ve not seen enough of that,” says Sharpe, speaking to 101GreatGoals on behalf of NewBettingSites.uk.
“We saw flashes of it on Saturday and I hope that gives him the confidence to replicate it because I love watching him play when he’s in full flow.”
A HUGE goal for Marcus Rashford! 🤩
The 26-year-old bags his first goal for Man Utd since March to double his side’s lead 🙌
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/J4zchbm3LH
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 14, 2024
📰 Table Of Contents
Rashford ‘can be a menace’
“He’s been struggling with confidence of late so the goal will do him the world of good,” feels Sharpe. “The extra work he’s done during the international break has served him well.
“Hopefully he’ll feel like he deserves to play well, now that he’s put in the extra work. Marcus Rashford is an unbelievable player: he gets people off seats, creates goals, scores goals.
“At the moment, he seems to be stopping, thinking and trying to plan too much of what he’s going to do, rather than allowing it to happen.
“You hear it in golf: ‘get out of you own way’ and stop thinking so much. I would just have him watching DVDs of himself two years go, hour after hour.
“Just keep watching it on repeat constantly to see exactly how good he can be and what a menace he can be when he just goes for things.”
How big was scoring for Marcus Rashford today? 🤔@petercrouch and Joe Cole analyse the 26-year-old’s performance today for Man Utd
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/uRUerxN4NS
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 14, 2024
‘Just knock it’ – ex-United star Sharpe
Sharpe, who won the Premier League three times among seven major trophies under Sir Alex Ferguson between 1991 and 1996, has straightforward guidance for one of his successors as a hugely popular presence on the flanks at Old Trafford.
“Usually, when it’s lack of confidence, you’re just over-thinking things,” reckons Sharpe. “My only advice to Rashford would be as soon as he gets the ball, just knock it 20 yards and race after it.
“Just declare intent, give the full-back something to think about. If the full-back knocks it out for a throw-in, you’re 20 or 30 yards further up the pitch, the crowd are up, the whole team are up the pitch and you’re closer to goal.
“When he’s instinctive, his balance, pace and agility are incredible. Whatever the defender’s going to do – whether he’s going to try to slide in, barge him, race him – Rashford instinctively knows what to do.”
“A confident Marcus Rashford would start for England” 🏴
Can Marcus Rashford re-find his goalscoring form at Man Utd…? 🤔
🎙️ @lynseyhipgrave1 @petercrouch
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/5n41DsULwK
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 14, 2024
Rashford’s highlights reel would include many of the 30 goals and 11 assists he contributed to United’s first year under Ten Hag in 2022-23, but the 26-year-old’s slump in form came under intense scrutiny last season, scoring eight goals and setting up six in 43 games as United finished in their lowest position for 34 years.
“It’s a tough watch when you see Rashford struggling and passing the ball backwards or five yards inside,” says Sharpe. “He’s got unbelievable feet and unbelievable pace.
“Any full-back who squares up against him must be terrified. He hasn’t been going at people and giving them a problem.”
Manchester United vs Palace
United are already four points behind the early top four, following up a nervy 1-0 home win over Fulham with a last-gasp defeat at the Amex Stadium and a 3-0 hammering by the Reds at Old Trafford before the international break.
Palace, who are yet to win, can take confidence from their 4-0 stroll in the penultimate away game of Ten Hag’s second season in May.
Clinical Rashford 🔥#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 17, 2024
“Everyone was expecting a lot more at the start of this season,” reflects Sharpe. “After two years in charge, everyone’s gone on about consistency, style of play and philosophy.
“With his own team, with more purchases, people expected more. Maybe there’s been a little bit of over-expectancy because we’re four games into the season.
“He’s had new lads who haven’t had too many minutes and a few more injuries as well. I’m hoping that Southampton kicks them on. Liverpool was a little bit of an exaggerated downer, if you like, because they played OK in parts.
“They seemed as if they had more gears to go into and individual errors cost them the game. They created some really good chances and could have had a couple of goals themselves.
“They just couldn’t put them away. It could have been a different story. Hopefully, Southampton’s fresh in their minds and they can build on the confidence and positivity and be boosted by that.
“It was the way they put Southampton under pressure, were clinical in front of goal and Rashford was a lot more positive.
“I keep saying we are only four games in and we’re not going to see the finished article yet. But it’s getting there.”
