Long gone are the days of sideways passing, characteristic to United under Moyes and for most of Louis’ reign. Manchester United lacked a player who could run at defences and force them to retreat. Janujaz was a glimmer of hope, though a very slight one under David Moyes.
Louis van Gaal shelled out a lot of cash for the services of Di Maria, but he too didn’t live up to the expectations.
In comes Rashford; a not-so-surprising inclusion into United’s squad for their Europa League game against FC Midtjylland given United’s lack of striking power with injuries to Martial and Rooney. At the ripe age of 18, he was given the task of rescuing a mammoth club like United from humiliation; and boy didn’t he do it well.
From then on, there was no looking back. Louis van Gaal’s gamble had paid off, in more than one way as United had unearthed a gem from their reserves.
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Any doubts about Rashford being a one season wonder were quashed by his important contributions last season that lead to two trophies. There have been widespread rumours about United being in the market for another striker; a particular blonde-haired Frenchman whom they look certain to sign come January. It would be harsh to say, however, that United lack options up front.
Rashford has earned Mourinho’s trust, the very same Mourinho that was criticized for overlooking youth in all of his previous spells as manager. Though it seems highly unlikely that it will change in an instant; Mourinho is known to be a coach who doesn’t like inconsistency.
The only way for Rashford to keep up with his level of performances is to get a regular run of games. Manchester United started without Rashford in their Super Cup loss to Madrid and seemed to be ineffective for most of the first half. The injection of Rashford in the second gave United something to fight for in the dying moments of the game.
Rashford started the first game of the Premier League season and his contributions were evident.
Rashford is a Mancunian; that is the icing on this delicious cake. He knows what it means to wear the red jersey. His rise with Manchester United is a fairytale and like every fairytale, we hope this one never ends.
Mourinho must sow the seeds this season. He must build a team around the pace and trickery of Marcus Rashford. While everyone else is a variable, Rashford is a constant and someone who is there to stay for a long time.
The seeds might not build immediate rewards; but as the old saying goes, ‘The fruit of Patience is always sweet’.
