Rio Ferdinand: Manchester United star Marcus Rashford must forget about ‘sulking’ and prove Jose Mourinho wrong
England striker is behind the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez in the attacking positions at Old Trafford this season but he has a chance to make a case to his boss
MARCUS RASHFORD has made 108 appearances under Jose Mourinho.
Sadly for the Manchester United kid, 51 of those have been off the bench.
With Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, among others, ahead of him in Mourinho’s mind it looks a tough task for the England starlet, 20, to get regular starts.
But ex-United defender Rio Ferdinand, who was not often found on the Red Devils bench, has urged Rashford not to sulk and to prove his boss wrong.
Ferdinand, a winner of six Premier League titles with United, said: “It goes back to the young players of today, has Rashford got the fight in him?
“You have to put it on Rashford’s toes.
“Have you got the fight to say ‘Hold on, I don’t care who you are bringing in. Sanchez doesn’t know this club like me. I’m Man United through and through, these fans want me to play. I’m determined to make sure this manager knows I’m going to get my foot on that pitch as a starter. Not as a sub’.
“You ask any player, coming on as a sub — that means nothing. I see that as disrespect.”
Rashford, suspended from Prem duty following his red card at Burnley, should be involved when United take on Young Boys in Switzerland tomorrow in their opening Champions League Group G game.
Ferdinand, a BT Sport pundit, reckons how Rashford copes with the stop-start nature of his relationship with Mourinho will be a huge “test of character”.
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The ex-England centre-half added: “He needs the right people around him, talking to him. Don’t let all this s**t come in and mess with your mentality.
“Obviously his confidence takes a bit of a hit because he thinks ‘I’m not starting all these games, I think I should start’.
“What he has got to do now, which is difficult, is send messages to the manager saying ‘I am the man. You keep buying these players, why are you buying them?’
“Harry Kane starts every game. Kylian Mbappe starts every game. Wayne Rooney started every game. Michael Owen started every game.
“I can come on for ten minutes every game. But I want to walk out on that pitch as the starter. That’s when you know. You want to say ‘If you want to win every game, gaffer, I should be starting’.
“I don’t think it is all Mourinho’s fault. And I don’t think it is all Rashford’s fault. I think there’s a balance.”
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