All eyes were on Marcus Rashford at Goodison Park for Saturday’s early Premier League kick-off after Ralf Rangnick put his faith in the Manchester United striker.
After starting the last two games on the substitutes’ bench, Rashford was thrust into the starting line-up against Everton to try and inject some much-needed impetus into United’s fading hopes of finishing in the top four. It did not go to plan for Rashford or United, who put in a meek performance to succumb to a 1-0 defeat against an Everton side who had lost six of their previous seven Premier League games to slip to within one point of the relegation zone.
If he wasn’t already nervous, the environment helped ramp up expectations. for Rashford While United conducted their warm-ups, a camera followed Rashford around. Metres behind him on the touchline – and presumably within earshot – stood Rio Ferdinand, who was busy giving his take on Rashford’s struggles .
"He’s left me worried and I’m asking a lot of questions about what is going on behind the scenes. Slumped shoulders, not as confident,” Ferdinand said on BT Sport. “When he burst onto the scene you thought ‘oh my god this kid is a player’.
“I think it stems from the uncertainty of the football club. He’s a local boy, who is desperate for this football club to do well. He grew up on success, it’s all he saw. It’s deception as a football player that you hide what you’re really feeling. I don’t think he can hide it through his body language. He wants some success back at the club.” In an impassioned and lengthy speech, Ferdinand went on to speak about the “responsibility” and “pressure” that comes with playing for a club which is currently in limbo and facing a great deal of uncertainty.
Ferdinand has a point. Rashford has ensured an extremely difficult period over the past few months. Following widespread reports about his unhappiness, Rashford was told publicly by Rangnick that he could leave the club in the summer if he wanted. Meanwhile, one club source was worried he was “becoming a ghost” because he has not been influencing games.
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The off-field claims are based on solid on-field statistics. Coming into the game at Goodison Park, Rashford had scored five goals and contributed two assists in 27 appearances across all competitions for United this season. He was on a 10-match goalless run and had gone seven games without an assist. All four of his Premier League goals this season had some off the bench.
All of this despite having started his season well, with three goals in his first four games in October after recovering from shoulder surgery. It was within this context that Rashford had to perform against Everton – and things started very promisingly.
Perhaps drawing on the home crowd’s relegation-based nervousness, United came out of the blocks quickly and it was only Jordan Pickford who kept them level. The England goalkeeper did well to push away Rashford’s near-post effort from the edge of the box before getting down smartly to stop a forceful downward header from the United striker three minutes later.
Rashford had done well to get in between Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey and get on the end of Bruno Fernandes ’ whipped cross. That was just 12 minutes into the match, but those two efforts proved to be United’s only two shots on target in the entire first half, with Anthony Gordon’s deflected strike sending Everton in 1-0 up.
Rashford started on the left of United’s front three, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho. He was by far the brightest of the trio and did not show the burden of expectation on his shoulders. But much like his team in general, things did not get much better.
With the home crowd making their renewed confidence heard, United coughed and spluttered after the break. Rashford was not cowed into avoiding risks, but what he did try simply did not come off.
In a 15-minute period after half-time Rashford saw a shot blocked on the edge of the box, failed to even get a touch on a ball over the top and was twice dispossessed to bring an end to promising United attacks. It was little surprise when his number was held up by the fourth official in the 64th minute to allow Anthony Elanga to come on.
"He quite often has trained well and that’s why I played him from the start today as one of three strikers,” Rangnick said of Rashford pre-match. “I very much hope he can transform the performance in training onto the pitch today." Unfortunately for both, that did not happen.
