Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick explains reason for disappointing form of Marcus Rashford following Aston Villa game

Speaking in his post-match press conference, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick revealed that he could not pinpoint the reason behind a dip in form of Marcus Rashford following a poor performance against Aston Villa.

The Old Trafford faithful rejoiced on Monday night after the Red Devils went through to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup. It was a tough game against Villa, but the boys got the job done. However, Man United had several chances to kill the game.

And Rashford, in particular, was at the epicentre of most of them. The Englishman has experienced a massive dip in form since the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. In fact, the youngster has not found the back of the net since the end of October. And his performance did not pick up against the opposition on Monday night either.

He was finding it hard to dribble past opponents or even outpace them. His output in the counter-attacks was also minimal. Understandably, the crowd got on his back. Rangnick explained after the game that he cannot pinpoint the reason for the 24-year-old’s poor run of form.

“Actually, I do not know. He (Rashford) is trying hard and he is in training; he was doing really well in the last couple of days. That is why he was quite rightly in the starting XI. I think in the first half we found him quite often, we also tried to get him into the box. 

For strikers, it is important that they score goals on and off, that there are moments of success. Of course, it would be good for Marcus if he could score a goal. But as long as he is trying, as long as he is training well, I don’t see much of a problem.”

Not a system player?

It is no secret that some players in the current squad are finding it hard to cope with the system employed by Rangnick. The German manager is trying to bring about an identity and a specific style of football. However, it does not look like Rashford is adjusting well to the new changes.

There have been times when he has done everything right but is missing the final pass or shot. But one thing that can be credited to him is that he is always trying to do something. Even though his performance was awful in the Cup tie, he was trying to create something for the frontline.

However, he should be amongst the goals soon, especially once the entire team gels together. Few players function well in a chaotic environment, and Rashford is not the only one lacking confidence. Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood, and Jadon Sancho have not covered themselves in glory either in recent weeks. 

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It is a matter of training again and again and getting the basics right. The English international is one of our best players and a top future prospect. He may not be in top gear at the moment but could turn things around towards the business end of the season.

Almost all elite players have a poor run of form a few times in their career. Even the great Lionel Messi once went 8 games without scoring a goal at Barcelona. But it is about how the player responds to the poor patch of form that defines them, and Rashford has shown it time and again that he is up for the task at Man United.