CHRIS WHEELER: With only one goal this season and a red card, what’s eating Marcus Rashford?
The referee held up his red card and Marcus Rashford grinned widely. It wasn’t a happy smile, though. It was a smile of disbelief at Lithuanian official Donatas Rumsas and his decision to send off Manchester United’s number 10 for the second time in his career.
We were approaching the end of the regular 45 minutes and a whole lot of extra time at the end of the first half at Parken Stadium, and Rashford was on his way.
United were two goals ahead of Copenhagen, but when Rumsas blew the whistle before half-time it was 2-2. Full-time, United’s ten men watched a 4-3 defeat and possible elimination from the Champions League. The red card had changed the course of the match.
It has been a difficult week for Rashford in what has been a worryingly poor season by the England forward’s standards.
Should he have been sent off for his challenge against Copenhagen’s Elias Jelert? Rumsas had missed Rashford by raking his studs past Jelert’s shin and ankle, but the VAR had failed to do so. Once the referee went to the monitor, there would only be one outcome.
Marcus Rashford has had a worryingly poor start to the season, scoring just once
Erik ten Hag (left) publicly criticized Rashford for publicly celebrating his 26th birthday
Like most calls on Wednesday evening, it was a tight call. Technically correct perhaps, and always worse in slow motion, but certainly on the soft side.
None made an iota of difference to the United player. He was sent on his way and a bad night had only gotten worse for the Rashford camp.
Shortly before kick-off, it emerged that Rashford’s brother Dane had been arrested in Florida on suspicion of assault.
Dane is director of the management company that handles Rashford’s affairs with his brother Dwaine Maynard. They act as Marcus’s agents, although that is somewhat in jeopardy after failing the FA’s new exam last summer. Last week, Rashford was publicly criticized by manager Erik ten Hag for celebrating his 26th birthday at Manchester nightclub China just hours after United’s humiliating defeat in the Manchester derby, calling the gathering ‘unacceptable’.
Suspicions arose when Rashford missed Saturday’s Premier League win over Fulham with a leg injury, according to Ten Hag, but the player was back in the starting lineup in Copenhagen.
The decision to party at such a high-profile venue was simply a case of bad timing on Rashford’s part, and probably no worse than the publicity experts at Nike who last week opted to launch his new clothing line with the American sportswear giant.
“He sees the pieces in the collection as tools that can take athletes to new heights,” the press release read, ignoring the fact that an ineffective Rashford had put in another poor performance against City just over a day earlier. Unfortunately, it is one of many this season, raising concerns that he has suffered a loss of confidence similar to the one that followed his penalty miss for England in the 2021 European Championship final against Italy.
Rashford returned to enjoy his best season yet for United. He scored 30 goals in Ten Hag’s first season and earned a new £300,000-a-week contract with his hometown club.
It has emerged that his brother Dane (left) has been arrested in Florida on suspicion of assault
Dane Rashford (L), Dwaine Maynard (C) and Marcus Rashford are seen in an undated photo
Last year, pundits and fans alike felt Rashford was back to his best and scoring goals
The English forward had a great season last year, scoring 30 goals for United
However, this season he has looked a shadow of that player and no one at United knows exactly why. Just one goal in 15 games tells its own story, and Rashford’s body language is once again that of a sullen, sullen youngster.
People close to him have always said he has trouble hiding his feelings, and it’s no secret that earlier this year he finally split from fiancée Lucia Loi, who is said to have been a steadying influence on him .
Although they had a break when Rashford missed the penalty in the shootout, he is said to have sought support from his childhood sweetheart – before seeing a sports psychologist. Perhaps Lucia would have persuaded him not to comment on a debate about his future promoted on a fans website earlier this week after he missed the Fulham match.
“Please STOP spreading malicious rumors,” he wrote. It felt like one of those moments where responding just added fuel to the fire as no one is seriously questioning his commitment to the club. But something is clearly eating Rashford again. He doesn’t seem like himself and he doesn’t play like one.
Earlier this year it was announced that Rashford had finally divorced fiancée Lucia Loi
Perhaps it’s time to put aside any thoughts of a night out or the launch of Nike and get back to what he does best, because there’s no doubt that Rashford remains one of United’s – and England’s – best players .
He was not in top form again in Copenhagen, but he did play a key role in Rasmus Hojlund’s first goal and it is more than likely that United would have won the match had he remained on the pitch.
Rashford started on the right and that could be an interesting option for Ten Hag if he plays as a more conventional winger and uses his stronger right foot to provide crosses for Hojlund, who has suffered poor service so far in his United career.
Above all, Ten Hag needs Rashford firing on all cylinders at a time when his own future is coming under fierce criticism.