Former Manchester United forward Mark Hughes believes Marcus Rashford is one of the worst players in the Premier League out of possession.
Rashford has faced difficulty in leaving a mark for Erik ten Hag’s team this season, managing only two goals in 19 appearances thus far.
The England international faced criticism for his lackluster display in United’s 1-0 loss to Newcastle last weekend, leading to him being excluded by Ten Hag for the match against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening.
United triumphed over Chelsea with a 2-1 victory, during which Rashford came in as a second-half substitute. Hughes suggests that the 26-year-old should enhance his defensive contributions for Ten Hag’s team.
‘I don’t think the players go out with the intention of not trying, that doesn’t happen, but I think Rashford has slipped back into the mindset that he had prior to last season – he doesn’t look happy,’ Hughes said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.
‘He obviously had a lot going on outside the game which maybe took something away from him, and perhaps he just needs to focus back solely on what his role is when he’s asked to put on the shirt for Man United.
‘I look at United and think a lot of their problems stem from the wide areas. When the ball goes past them, their response is just not good enough.
‘The lads need to track back and if they lose possession, they have to regain it as quick as they can.
‘If you compare them to how Man City react when they lose the ball, it’s chalk and cheese. If Phil Foden loses the ball on the right hand-side, he wins it back, same with Jack Grealish.
‘Rashford is an outstanding talent and is one of the best in the league when it comes to taking someone on, but without the ball, he’s probably one of the worst. He’s got to sort that part out.’
Mark Hughes anticipates a challenging season for Ten Hag at United, attributing it to problems within the team’s dressing room.
‘When Erik ten Hag got the job, there were big issues within the club such as indiscipline and certain individuals were ruling the club,’ Hughes said.
‘It’s a big contrast to the past when it was run by Sir Alex Ferguson, who was the main man, and everything came from him. He clearly went in and addressed a number of those issues, and I think he’s got credit in the bank because of that.
‘It’s not an easy situation to go into. Man United is a huge club and you must have a certain strength of character and presence to be able to walk into the dressing room and address those issues. From the outside it seems as if he was able to do that and the results improved – it was a happier camp.
‘This year, for one reason or another, it seems to have just slipped back again and now it is about how he deals with that.
‘Do you start saying the same things again that resonated with the players the first time? The players have heard that before, so you need to come up with something different. I think it’ll be difficult for him this year.’