IS MARCUS TOO NICE FOR HIS OWN GOOD? HARV POINTS TO PROGRESS
Only Ronaldo and Rooney have got to 50 United goals in Prem quicker than Rashford..but they showed a ruthless streak to turn goals into loads of trophies..
MARCUS RASHFORD has deservedly picked up numerous awards this season but is unlikely to add the Golden Boot at this rate.
The role model has played a blinder on and off the pitch and celebrated his 50th Premier League goal at Leicester in a memorable year in which he earned an MBE.
He also won a special BBC Sports Personality award for his successful campaign to extend free school meals in the coronavirus pandemic.
But Rashford should have walked away with the match ball at the King Power.
And the 23-year-old will have to be more clinical if he is to help bring the top prizes to Old Trafford. He became the third youngest player to reach a half century for United in the league, behind Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
That pair won the Premier League numerous times and the Champions League with the Reds.
Academy graduate Rashford will need to be just as ruthless if he is to enjoy similar success.
He opened the scoring with a right- foot finish against the Foxes to take his league goals tally to six and 13 in all competitions. But it was only after earlier putting an easy free header over from six yards out.
Then after Harvey Barnes’ screamer made it 1- 1 at the break, Rashford was superbly denied by Kasper Schmeichel when clean through ( below).
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted: “With the chances we create you expect us to score more goals.
“I’m a bit disappointed we didn’t score on the big moments we had.”
But he added: “Both as a player and as a person
Marcus has been absolutely brilliant. We are very proud of him as a human being as well as a player.
“His stats say everything about his qualities. He was always a threat and creates chances for others.
“I am very pleased with Marcus. He is always there or thereabouts with scoring goals.
“He knows he had a couple of other chances but that’s football for you.”
When it comes to being deadly, Rashford has a teammate to emulate in Bruno Fernandes.
His goal to make it 2-1 was his 10th this season and, with his assist for Rashford’s opener, Fernandes has been directly involved in 31 of his team’s 60 goals since he joined a year ago – scoring 18 and making 13.
The Portuguese star’s goal looked like being the winner until Jamie Vardy’s late deflected shot off Axel Tuanzebe.
The draw ended United’s 10- match winning league run on the road - one short of the record set by Chelsea in 2008.
It also denied them the chance to go second in the table.
A philosophical Solskjaer reflected: “When you score as many as we do you have to accept you open up a litt l e at times.”
HARVEY BARNES admits Leicester were content with their draw against Manchester United, who have been their bogey side. The Foxes had not drawn in the Premier League this season until the Reds’ visit, and came from behind twice to get a point ahead of today’s trip to Crystal Palace.
It was just their second point from a possible 27 against United in the top flight. Barnes, who scored City’s first equaliser (above, celebrating), revealed how manager Brendan Rodgers had stressed at the break the importance of avoiding defeat.
He said: “We spoke about before the game and at half-time, if we can’t win then we don’t lose it. Of course we want to win every game we go into but we are happy with the point.
“As a team we played well and looked solid, and when we got the chances, we took them.”
Barnes scored his seventh goal of the season with a blistering leftfoot shot from outside the box to make it 1-1 before the break after Marcus Rashford’s opener for United.
Bruno Fernandes restored the visitors’ lead but a late shot by Jamie Vardy (left, celebrating with James Maddison) deflected in off Axel Tuanzebe to make it 2-2. Barnes added: “I enjoyed it out there, I felt like I got a lot of the ball on the left. “Every game I just want to create as much as I can and add as many goals and assists. I am happy to do that. “It’s something I know I need to add to my game as an attacker for me and the team. Goals are important. I’ve been really happy with how I’ve started but need to keep adding to that and helping the team.”