05 Apr 2017 10:13:42
Keeping the game aside for now, ill touch on a boring yet my favorite topic these days. Rashford.
Zlatan plays him in, Rashford is in, one on one with the goal keeper and yet again fails to score. Only this time the referee flagged him offside and saved him the blushes.
Anyways, did anyone see the smirk on Jose's face when he missed that chance. It was a face of a man who is running out of patience with the lad. Apart from that one run in the first 5 min, Rashford was yet again toothless. Everytime he had the ball at his feet, it was like 5 sec before he would even make a next move. He was standing on the ball for gods sake.
I would let him go (atleast on a loan) before thinking of letting Rooney leave.
Shaw on the other hand looked hungrier. May be Jose has given a kick up his back side and that has had a reaction. Hope he keeps the performance going.
05 Apr 2017 11:02:32
He played very well in the 1st half, skinned Holgate in the in the 1st 5 minutes. They then doubled and sometimes trebled up on him. He was making terrific runs off the ball but the ball didn't come or didn't arrive soon enough. The chance he missed was proof of this. Zlatan delayed the pass too long, if he'd passed it couple seconds sooner, Rashford has a better angle and isn't offside. Eventually players stop making runs. Rasford was showing signs of frustration last night when the ball wasn't played to him.
05 Apr 2017 11:43:08
That is just you trying to defend the player and nothing else. If my aunt had a moustache I would call her uncle. All ifs and buts. The bottomline is that he didn't deliver yet again. Rashford didn't have a meaningful part to play in either half besides that run in the first 5.
Yeah they doubled up on him. How is it that Lingard found the spaces? When the teams double up on Valencia on the other side and he plays a backward pass, that is Valencia being poor, but when its Rashford, the measuring stick changes. Rashford has been poor this season till now and not long before he is demoted to the bench at the minimum.
05 Apr 2017 12:19:00
They have to play passes back as there isn't an overlap and everything is forced inside. Valencia does the right side on his own. If Rashford is making the runs and the ball doesn't arrive, how is it his fault. The crowd were screaming last night for it to be played sooner. The midfield was way too slow. Carrick and Fellaini are hardly Xavi and Iniesta.
05 Apr 2017 12:45:16
Considering Jose was very positive about Rashford saying he isn't doing anything wrong but trying too hard I don't see Jose giving up on him anytime soon- thankfully.
Yes, he is low on confidence and 80% of the misses this season he would have buried last year but that's development .
I don't understand this clamour for sending kids out on loan, how often does it work? What can a coach teach a lad at Sunderland, Wigan, or Villa that he can't learn at United?
05 Apr 2017 13:21:54
Its not about what a coach would teach or not. Its about the expectations that the club like United has. We can't keep missing chances like those and dropping points in the hope that 5 years down the line, the player would develop. At a Sunderland/ Wigan, the player can play without the baggage of expectations of a big club. Last year was a mirage of sorts. It was like throwing a kid at the deep end of the pool. He would throw his legs around and learn to swim. What next is the question. It could be the second season syndrome. But plain and simple, he hasn't delivered this season.
05 Apr 2017 13:42:37
Shan ibra has missed lot more sitters than rashford has and what exactly is it that you expect from him, he is a 18 year old in his second season who played well last season as no 9, this time around he has been shunted to the right or the left, you cannot expect similar returns with less games and especially after not even being played in his most effective position.
{Ed007's Note - Rashford is 19 and he turns 20 in October.}
05 Apr 2017 13:45:46
Shan how do you think Ibra played last night?
05 Apr 2017 14:31:58
I still don't see it Shan - Rashford wouldn't be going on loan to a top 8 side, if it was in the PL it would more likely be for Bournmouth/ sunderland/ Wham - so instead of training and playing with Utd he would be leading the line for 45mins or 90 mins against city, chelsea spurs etc instead of playing for Utd against them with inferior players (? ) and different tactics . we have to agree to disagree -I see a loan move more often than not as a player getting pushed out. Januzaj will never get in UTDS squad now -or I would be amazed if he does.
05 Apr 2017 14:38:46
He put a simple header over the bar from 8 yards and no one mentions it. The real positive from last night was Bailly, he was terrific.
05 Apr 2017 14:47:48
Well let's just say the Ibra scored 2 perfectly legitimate goals last night. The linesman just didn't like him closing in on 20 goals for the season so decided to flag him off on the first. If it were down to the linesman, he could have flagged him off on the penalty as well.
To answer your question, Ibra had a good game. Held up the ball well, tried to play in the others. Dropped deep when Fellaini was up top. All in all a 7 or 8/ 10 performance from him.
I am not expecting an infant Rashford to break scoring records in his second season, but there are bare minimums that a forward needs to accomplish. If I am not wrong, he is essentially a wide forward where he played in the junior teams as well. So it shouldn't be difficult for him to play there in the first team either. The truth is that he hasn't been playing well, forget scoring goals. How many assists does he have? I bet Rooney has more than him. How many games has Rooney played this season?
Please, I am not degrading the player that he is. He may turn out to be very good in the future. All I am saying is that at this point in time, he isn't half as good as people make him out to be. I believe most of the posters here are English and its natural that they hype him being "one of their own". Why do people have to compare his missed chances with Ibra's. If Ibra had converted his chances, he would be touching 30 for the season. If Rashford had converted his chances, he would still be 10. There lies the difference. To be honest, on current form, Rashford won't be my 3rd choice striker next season.
05 Apr 2017 14:50:56
junctionred he bossed lukaku!
05 Apr 2017 14:55:23
I thought Ibra was poor missed a sitter as well.
You come on bashing rash for his performance last night and day Ibra had a good game, 8 out of 10?
Yes Rooney has more assists than rash, he has 9 the most in the squad.
05 Apr 2017 15:13:14
Also rather than slating Rashford was poor last night, apart from getting skinned early on Holgate had a very good game. I was impressed with him. Everton have a player there.
05 Apr 2017 15:17:30
Shan he isn't a wide forward he is a no 9, i know he played right wing in the u18 but given the fact that neither fans nor anyone else rated him as a special talent before lvg gave him his debut tells us how good he is in that position, you say he has played there so it shouldn't be difficult for him, do you really think u18 and epl are the same.
We play all our football through ibra, first thing pogba does after going anywhere near the final third is try and find ibra and that is what most of our attackers do. If our attack had been centered around either martial or rashford in the same way they too would be getting similar nos. Also just so you know how good ibra has been this season, among 20 players in europe's top 5 leagues who have scored 15 or more league goals this season ibra has the second worst conversion rate. But yes let's blame rashford or martial or someone else shall we.
05 Apr 2017 15:18:37
Holgate looks a good player done well every time he has come in this season.
05 Apr 2017 16:01:27
CSM, Ibra was not in our last 3 games. How many did Rash score?
05 Apr 2017 16:07:25
Yeah, I liked the look of Holgate. But you're right, Junction. Bailly impresses me more and more each game. I think we have a real talent on our hands with this lad.
05 Apr 2017 16:39:47
Agree Juntionred -I thought Bailly was back to his best last night . He has looked out of sorts since he came back from African cup as players often do (yaya) but very pleasing to see him bossing it last night .
05 Apr 2017 18:21:01
unfair comparison shan, 2 of 3 games ibra missed had us also missing pogba and herrera our only 2 decent mf's. Rashford right now lacking in confidence but he still gets to into good positions and will start scoring if given a sustained run. And as i said set up play around martial or rashford and both will get similar returns to zlatan.
05 Apr 2017 18:29:02
Fair enough CSM. I take your point. I am still unsold on Rashford and have my doubts on the caliber and quality of the player. I'll keep my humble ready if need be in 5 years time.
05 Apr 2017 18:43:19
Come 1 on the games was against Chelsea with 10 men.