Manchester United took a giant step towards winning their first silverware since 2017, as they thrashed Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Carabao Cup semi final.
Not since the days of Jose Mourinho have the Red Devils lifted a trophy, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick both failing during their tenures. Erik ten Hag is now on the cusp of succeeding where his predecessors failed by winning the first competition on offer to him.
It’s the latest stride in a season full of them, with United looking as close to being ‘United’ since Sir Alex Fergsuon hung up his hairdryer in 2013. And there is no player more symbolic of the upwards trajectory at Old Trafford than Marcus Rashford.
In the months since Ten Hag’s appointment, the England international has gone from a striker lacking in confidence, to one now dealing almost exclusively with it.
His goal against Forest was a combination of skill, speed and ruthlessness as he slalomed through the hosts’ defence before firing past a hapless Wayne Hennessey. That was his 10th goal in as many games, with Rashford truly taking the mantle from Cristiano Ronaldo as their newest talisman.
“There are more players who are playing really well but I am happy with Marcus, his performance and his development,” Ten Hag said after the win at the City Ground. “From the start of the season he is growing and keeps doing that.
“We have to keep his process going and if he is in that mood and spirit, I think he is unstoppable. It is up to the team to get him in the right positions.”
Ten Hag is now building a side around the 25-year-old less than a year after Rangnick made his position in the squad abundantly clear. With Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani sidelined by illness and injury respectively, Rashford was the only out and out forward available to United’s interim boss.
But rather than ask him to lead the line for the clash with Leicester City back in April, Rangnick opted to leave him on the bench. Instead, Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes were asked to fill the void at the top of the pitch, taking turns to move forward from midfield.
According to the Manchester Evening News, it was a decision which ‘baffled’ the United dressing room, who were all under the impression Rashford should have played some part. It only helped to emphasise a lack of belief in the Austrian, a lack of belief only underlined by their desperate performances under his stewardship.
The Athletic reported that Rangnick was left dismayed by Rashford and spent time trying to work out why he thrived in training and was then a ‘ghost’ on matchdays. He felt that the forward was unable to take instructions on board and was therefore unable to be a regular within his side.
Rashford’s response was always that he was overloaded by instructions from the dugout and may have suffered a version of ‘paralysis by analysis’.
And his performances under Ten Hag seem to suggest that not only was the United dressing room spot on with their assessment of Rashford, the player himself had a point when it came to the overload of demands forced upon him.
