Man United: Marcus Rashford ‘needs to go back to basics’ to return to his best, insists Andrew Cole

Manchester United legend Andrew Cole has called on Marcus Rashford to check within himself if he wants to return to his reckless best this season and beyond.

Rashford was a microcosm of the Red Devils’ disappointing 2021-22 season: a promising season that was beyond overwhelming. They finished sixth in the Premier League and failed to break through their trophy drought – dating back to their Europa League triumph in May 2017.

The 24-year-old missed the first two months of the term due to injury and capped it off with a meager return of just five goals in 32 appearances for his youth club, including a 16-game scoreless run to end it.

Rashford’s confidence was clearly low at times as fans vented their frustrations to him as well, while the spark in his game was extinguished as nothing seemed to be happening for him during matches.

With a new manager in Erik ten Hag at the helm, United’s number 10 has been his key figure in attack – scoring five goals in 10 appearances so far this season, with his strikes proving decisive in victories over Liverpool and Arsenal at home in the Premier League and away to Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League.

Despite the encouraging start, Cole believes Rashford is only just getting started as he strips his game back to its roots.

Cole, who scored 121 goals in 275 appearances for the Old Trafford outfit and was a key cog in their unforgettable 1998-99 Treble-winning campaign, has urged England to rediscover the methods by which he came onto the scene in 2016.

“I think as an individual you have to want to do it yourself first and foremost,” said the former attacker, who won Sports post exclusively on an Evening with the United Masters on behalf of Bookmakers.com.

Marcus would know his game has changed when he first got into the first team six years ago.

“If I were Marcus, and this is me, I’m talking about what I would do or what I used to do, I’d go back to basics. If Marcus wondered “how did I get into the first team”, when he got into “what was I doing” and now looks at himself, he knows he doesn’t do those things.

“So, if you don’t do what you did then, how are you going to get better? Go back to base.

‘roy’ [Keane] has said that he lost the eye of the tiger and that he took the eye of the ball. That could very well be true, but I can’t speculate on that.

“But if it was me, I’ll go right back to basics if I want to get back to that level. It’s about individuals who want to get better.’

Rashford got off to an electric start to his United career by scoring a brace on 25 February 2016 during his Europa League debut against Denmark’s Midtjylland. He followed that up with two goals three days later when United defeated Arsenal 3-2.

To date, he has scored 98 goals in 313 appearances for the club, with his best result in 2010-22 when he scored 22 goals in 44 appearances.

Cole’s stance was shared by Ten Hag, who urged him to be more clinical in front of goal after his failed appearance at home against Omonia Nicosia in Thursday night’s reversed Europa League game.

Rashford lost a series of chances against the Cypriots before substitute Scott McTominay at Old Trafford came up with a winner in the 93rd minute.

And while Ten Hag is happy with Rashford, he believes the 24-year-old could be more productive.

“He did a lot of things right, but in the end he knows he needs to be more clinical and score a goal,” Ten Hag said after that win.

“If you have such good moves and such good combinations, good actions, then you have to finish.

“I know sometimes it’s the game, it’s not your night and it’s about the form of the day, but it can turn into a different game. I think he is doing very well, you can see that in the opportunities he creates.’