Gary Lineker claims Marcus Rashford ‘has not been as special as he can be’ but it is not all the Man United star’s fault… as fellow pundit Alan Shearer insists the club ‘can’t afford to carry any passengers’
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have both given their thoughts on the Marcus Rashford saga after the Manchester United star was dropped by Ruben Amorim for Sunday’s derby against City.
The forward became a Red Devils icon after rising through the youth ranks in 2016 before reaching double figures in league goals in three consecutive seasons and also earning plaudits off the pitch with his charity work.
However, the United man has struggled of late. He has scored just four times in 15 Premier League appearances this season and assisted once as the side have slipped to the bottom half of the table.
Things came to a head last weekend when Rashford was surprisingly left out of the squad for the Manchester derby by the new manager, leading to suggestions he may be on his way out.
And on Tuesday he conducted a candid interview with Henry Winter, revealing it was a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ regarding his departure from Old Trafford.
Now Lineker and Shearer, colleagues from the BBC’s Match of the Day, have weighed in on the situation in an interview with Air sports.
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have spoken out about Marcus Rashford being dropped
Lineker suggested the Englishman’s problems were partly due to the club’s own problems
Shearer argued that Amorim had to ‘protect his assets’ before agreeing a deal with the player
Lineker, who will step down as host of Match of the Day at the end of the season, suggested Rashford had fallen short of expectations over the past year and a half but that was not his fault.
He said: ‘I hope he’s doing well, first of all I think that’s important because sometimes we don’t really understand the circumstances of footballers and it’s easy to torment people and have an opinion.
But it’s clear his form has struggled and he hasn’t been as special as he could be over the past 18 months.
‘I think United have been struggling for a while and I think sometimes we judge the players when things aren’t going well on the pitch.
‘It makes it harder for people to shine and they have had a particularly difficult period at United in recent years, with the exception of winning the FA Cup.’
Shearer, the Premier League’s all-time top scorer with 260 goals, tried to look at things from Amorim’s perspective.
‘[Rashford]“He has made his intentions clear,” he said. Whether the club knew about it or not, they probably didn’t. Then the manager comes out and has his say in the press conference.
‘He has an asset to protect at the football club so they will try to get the best possible compensation. He can’t say too much against him or what he’s said, so I think they’ll come to an agreement and figure out what’s best for both parties.
The forward revealed to Henry Winter that it was a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ he leaves United
Alejandro Garnacho (left) and Rashford (centre) were both left out in the win against Man City
Shearer tried to get into Amorim’s head and said the Portuguese cannot have ‘passengers’
‘You have to understand it from a manager’s perspective. He joined a team, he was hired to find a format in a successful way, so he has to look at different options and he chose to leave him out and they won the match, which in the end is the best answer for the manager.
‘He can say it [his views] for the players and the players can understand where he wants to go with the football club, [with] Given the size of the club, he cannot afford to carry passengers.”
Rashford, along with talented youth player Alejandro Garnacho, was left out of Amorim’s line-up for the Manchester derby, much to the shock of football fans across the country.
Ultimately, the Portuguese were proven right as United pulled off a stunning comeback victory in the final moments to beat City 2-1, leaving the local rivals with eight defeats in 11 games.
Amad Diallo won a penalty, which captain Bruno Fernades duly dismissed, before scoring a fantastic goal in the dying seconds to shock struggling City.
On Monday, hometown boy Rashford, who has been with the club for 20 years and scored 143 goals, was sent home sick from training. The club’s policy is that those who feel unwell should attend Carrington where they will be assessed by a doctor.
Rashford was deemed to have a high fever and left the complex. The next day, however, he was at his old primary school, handing out 420 presents – and dropping a great story.
The attacker, who scored thirty goals in the 2022/2023 season but has only four Premier League goals to his name this season, poured out his soul to former Times journalist Winter.
The striker, who has played for United since he was seven, made the impressive admission during a visit to his old primary school, where he handed out 420 presents to children.
Amad Diallo won a penalty and scored a late winner against Man City in Sunday’s derby
In a 1,021-word tweet about the grant, Rashford said: ‘For me personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps.
‘If I leave, it will be ‘no hard feelings’. You won’t get any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me as a person.
‘If I know a situation is already bad, I’m not going to make it worse. I’ve seen other players leave in the past and I don’t want to be that person. When I leave, I will make a statement, and it will be mine.”
When asked if he would always be a Red man through and through, Rashford – who was at the club from the age of seven and made his debut in 2016 – replied: ‘Yes! 100%. 100%.’