Rashford return could be
OLE Gunnar Solsjkaer’s options in the United attack this season are staggering, but sometimes it’s possible to have too much of a good thing.
Finding a role for all of his star attackers is impossible and so far the rotation hasn’t always worked.
With the Norwegian sticking with the 4-2-3-1 for the win against Atalanta on Wednesday night, it looks like it will remain a fourpronged attack for now and that means Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo occupying the central areas for the biggest games.
But United have incredible options to fill positions out wide and perhaps nowhere more so than on the left wing. There have been already been four different starters there this season in Paul Pogba, Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, while Jesse Lingard’s super-sub heroics have also come from that position.
While Sancho can compete with Mason Greenwood on the right, there’s still a real competition for places on the left, but it’s a debate that has edged closer to being settled this week.
Rashford’s return to action after shoulder surgery has been most welcome and, as many suspected he would, he has hit the ground running. He took his goal off the bench against Leicester superbly and was a constant menace to Atalanta on Wednesday night.
Again his finish to get United back in the game was a cool one but he should have had more to show for his work on the night, missing at least a couple of very presentable chances.
But crucially, the 23-year-old was getting in the right positions and never let his head drop when chances came and went. His movement and runs in behind caused Gian Piero Gasperini’s side problems and they were probably delighted to see him withdrawn with a quarter of the game to go.
Solskjaer put that decision down to a dead leg and he hopes Rashford will be fit to face Liverpool
on Sunday. He has five goals in 11 appearances against the Merseysiders, confirming his reputation as a big-game player.
Rashford’s form did nosedive last season, but he was playing through ankle and shoulder injuries and there was always a hope that a significant break would do him some good. He’s now just 10 goals away from a century for United, a tally he will almost certainly reach this season.
The performances against Leicester and Atalanta should have secured him an extended run in the team as well. Given his record against Liverpool he should certainly start against Jurgen Klopp’s side and at the moment he looks like United’s most dangerous left-sided forward.
Of the competitors, Martial is out injured and although he scored against Everton, it still feels like he has plenty to prove. The big losers might be Pogba and Sancho.
Pogba began the season on the left, from where his form was exceptional. But those performances that saw him register seven assists in just four games have slipped recently and he has started two of United’s last three games as a sub. His chances of starting in midfield were also hit by his performance against Leicester.
Sancho can still compete with Greenwood on the right but it’s clear his United career is yet to hit top gear. That might come when he gets a run of games on the rightwing, but for now he looks to have a job on his hands to start ahead of Rashford on the left.
Pogba might have been an attacking weapon on the left at the start of the season, but it feels like United have better balance with Rashford on the flank and he should be starting in that role most weeks.