Manchester Evening News

UNITED For now Rashford will just have to wing it...

- COMMENT By CIARAN KELLY

IT has been another big season in Marcus Rashford’s developmen­t and that is without even mentioning how he coped with the Swansea boo boys.

The 20-year-old has seven assists to his name - nearly double the amount he managed in the whole of the previous campaign - and has already scored nine goals.

Tellingly, the vast majority of those big moments have come while playing on the left wing and that is the position Jose Mourinho appears to see him playing in going forward.

That intense rivalry with Anthony Martial has brought out the best of the pair this season after Mourinho failed to land his elusive fourth signing, winger Ivan Perisic, in the summer.

But Rashford’s continued evolution on the flank has inadverten­tly reduced his chances in his favoured No.9 role for both club and country, and it is hard to see that changing anytime soon. Particular­ly after a rare audition up front against Derby.

He missed a host of chances, much to the home crowd’s audible frustratio­ns, on a night where little seemed to go right for him in contrast to his previous outings against lower league sides.

There was one moment where a trademark turbo boost and drop of the shoulder left Derby defender Marcus Olsson flailing before Rashford scooped the ball over the bar. Queue the groans.

Tellingly, Mourinho kept Rashford on the pitch – instead apologisin­g to Henrikh Mkhitaryan in front of the squad as he took him off at the break – and moved the England man out to the wing where his pace caused problems in the second half.

It is not unusual for Rashford to go through lengthy droughts - the Wythenshaw­e lad went 103 days without scoring last season - but the pressure does not seriously affect him.

Mourinho has been struck by that, and Rashford takes it all in his stride, diligently working on his finishing, crossing and free-kicks after training.

The youngster was back in the gym, at Nike’s World Campus no less, just weeks after his mammoth first full profession­al campaign ended and has had his moments this season. Rashford enjoyed a positive start to December, scoring in back-to-back games against CSKA Moscow and City, and then set up Romelu Lukaku’s opener against West Brom with a brilliant cross. All while playing on the wing.

Since then, it has not been so easy - just as best friend Lingard enjoys the run of his life. The latest installmen­t in Mourinho’s feud with Antonio Conte grabbed the headlines in the bowels of Old Trafford after the Derby win but, unprompted, he highlighte­d Rashford’s struggles while praising Lingard.

“Marcus, in training he scores unbelievab­le goals, he comes into matches and misses unbelievab­le chances, and hits the post, and the goalkeeper saves, so the players have these moments.”

We have seen how quickly things can change - the bizarre reaction to Ciaran Kelly Lingard’s £100,000-a-week deal in April tells you that - but it seems Rashford is destined to stay on the wing.

Mourinho made signing a No.9 a priority last summer, following Zlatan Ibrahimovi­c’s injury, after Rashford had a rare run of starts up front in the Swede’s absence towards the end of last season.

Entrusting Rashford with the responsibi­lity of leading the line for 60-plus games was never really a serious option.

Mourinho, instead, identified Alvaro Morata and, principall­y, Lukaku as his future No.9.

Lukaku, at 24, is only going to get better and it is hard to imagine the Belgian losing his place as United’s undisputed first-choice striker in the next few years.

That is not necessaril­y Rashford’s fault.

 ??  ?? Marcus Rashford had a rare stint as a striker against Derby
Marcus Rashford had a rare stint as a striker against Derby

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