Ralf Rangnick sends starting lineup message to Marcus Rashford after recent slump at Manchester United

Ralf Rangnick has delivered a verdict on what Marcus Rashford needs to do to keep getting into the starting lineup for Manchester United following his recent slump. The striker has failed to recapture his form from last season after his return from injury.

The 24-year-old returned from a serious shoulder issue around October, after which he has been a shadow of his former self. The situation was the same in his last game against Aston Villa, where he got worse as the match went on. He is currently on his longest goalless streak since 2016, giving us an idea about his current plight.

Speaking in the pre-match presser (h/t Manchester United official website), Rangnick has explained that Rashford has been doing well during training sessions, which is the reason why he has been rewarded with starts. However, he did warn that the forward needs to keep doing it consistently moving forward.

“There have been a couple of training sessions over the past few weeks when he (Rashford) has performed at the highest level and that is why I have always given him the chance to play again. As long as he does that, he will always make my list to be involved within the starting XI. Of course, it’s about showing that on a regular basis and continuously playing at a high level.”

On the pitch display

The Englishman cannot let his head drop due to the recent performances as he needs to overcome the obstacle for his own benefit and the team as well. He was great in the early phase of the FA Cup game against Villa, where we won 1-0, but gradually fell off in the latter stages, which can indicate that it may be a mental issue.

The Red Devils star would now need to build on the flashes of quality he showed during training sessions and convert that into a full-blown top-1uality display. Performances are what matter the most, so even if he does not get goals from the get-go, it would not be too much of an issue for now- but he must recapture the form that he has shown in the final third for us in the past few seasons.

He needs to be on his toes throughout the match and should not let any mistake bring him down, which was the case in the previous fixture. It is also a bit harsh that the spotlight is falling entirely on him, as his teammates haven’t covered themselves in glory recently either.

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Luke Shaw and Cristiano Ronaldo have indicated in the past that there seems to be a mentality issue within the team that needs to be solved. The Man United attacker could be going through a similar phase, so he needs to get into the groove as soon as possible since more and more important matches are set to follow shortly.