Pranav Nair
Andy Cole wants Manchester United star Marcus Rashford to emulate Edinson Cavani
Speaking on TalkSport (h/t MEN), Manchester United legend Andy Cole has urged Marcus Rashford to learn from veteran ace Edinson Cavani.
The 23-year-old is United’s second-highest scorer this season. However, he has failed to put away a number of chances, much to the fans’ frustration.
This has prompted Cole to state that Rashford cannot be expected to score 20 plus goals per season on a consistent basis. A clinical striker during his time, Cole is an expert when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net.
“Marcus is not going to be a clinical centre-forward like a Cavani.”
Unlike Rashford, who predominantly plays from the left, Cavani is a striker who is used to leading the line. He arrived at United last summer having impressed in both Italy and France.
He has so far looked the part and has scored a number of key goals. Rashford has scored 16 goals in 36 games while Cavani has managed just seven in 23 matches. (h/t BBC)
“If you look at what Man Utd have now with Cavani; you know what you’re going to get [with him], it’s as simple as that.”
The defence rests
Rashford definitely needs to improve on his finishing. While there is no argument regarding that point, his numbers are in some ways even better than Cavani.
While Cavani has scored lesser, he has also played lesser games (minutes) than Rashford. Both players, however, average the same 0.54 goals per 90 minutes. The fact that Rashford has managed to do so over a longer period of time is an indication of consistency. (h/t BBC)
Moreover, both players have the same goal conversion ratio (26%) while Rashford trumps Cavani when it comes to shooting accuracy. (h/t BBC)
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By working on his finishing, Rashford can become a regular scorer and can boost up his numbers. United too will gain from his increased output.
Rather than compare him to an out-and-out striker, United will be better off bringing in a specialist forward and continuing to deploy Rashford on the left.
