When Marcus Rashford was struggling under Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, his frustration and lack of impact were partly rooted in the failure to play him higher up the field. Rashford comes alive in the final third.
A set of detailed diagrams, data and heat maps of Rashford’s movement have circulated in football over the past few years. In his prolific 2022–23 season, Rashford averaged six touches in the box per game (similar to the likes of Erling Haaland now), dropping to five in 23–24 and three last season. Such stark analytics were viewed by Rashford’s critics as evidence of his ebbing interest in the game: overpaid, under-performing. Rashford’s supporters saw it as proof that United were not using him effectively: too far from goal to do damage.
