Rashford's post-match Interview

#07 said:
Marcus' interview helped me understand, to some extent, why we were as bad as we were yesterday. Although that in itself was a bit worrying.

He was extremely emotional, his voice cracked and nearly broke several times. Going into a final that wound up is a big no-no. In any walk of life nobody is going to produce their best if they're that emotionally on edge. The coaching staff probably tried to take the tension down a few notches but, it was evident from Marcus after the game, they clearly failed.

You also could tell from what he said that the players are paying attention to the media. That's another big no-no. He was referencing headlines, defending Ole's record. On the one hand that's positive. The players like Ole, they want to continue with him and they want to change the narrative that he's not going to take the club forward. On the other hand the fact that they're so conscious of these headlines is a problem. You can't go into games like this worrying about what people will say after. You have to play without those kind of things weighing you down. The fact the players are aware of the 'blah, blah, blah,' to quote Rashford, and its one of the first things on his mind when the game ends is a bad thing. The players need to be able to block that stuff out and focus on the game.

Everything coming out of Marcus' mouth last night makes me think that, mentally, we're not where we need to be to compete. The best teams are powered by belief. In big moments they play as if they have ice in their veins. Our side plays with too much of a monkey on its back.
Click to expand...
That's probably why Sir Alex was there with them too. To try to combat that, if you're right.
 
i dont like the reaction from our players after the game, they all looked broken even Bruno was crying his heart out. Funny thing is that i felt anger more than sadness that night.
 
The Oracle said:
He said something about injuries since September.

I would like to say to him,
"Listen Marcus, why have you been so selfish (playing even when injured and keeping fully fit players rooted to the bench) and a detriment to the team (giving 6/10 performances game after game, and a 4/10 performance in a major European Final), when you could have stepped aside for someone who is fully fit; and even miss a large chunk of games to fully recover?"

He was the same at the World Cup in 2018, saying the same things, 'It hurts us, we're hurting' etc etc.
He was abysmal at the World Cup, and he was abysmal last night in a Final.

I'm sick and tired of his politician like interviews.

He was even sulking on the pitch during the match yesterday, when he thought Shaw had failed to pass to him and it looked like the looping ball was going to go out of play; so he spat his dummy out and gave up - only for Shaw to stop the ball from going out of play and actually headed the ball down into Rashford's path; but guess what? Because Marcus was sulking he failed to even attempt to get back onside, and the offside was called.
It's that stinking attitude from him that I cannot stand.
Click to expand...
Good post. Sad post
 
I don’t get what this is. Do we think other players when we lose games cackle menacingly in the dressing room, pleased that we’re all upset at the defeat?


It’s odd that it’s worked. I never think a player that’s had a poor game has deliberately thrown it but I reserve the right to criticise someone for a poor match or poor form even if they’re hurting or have a sick dog or are so sad about it they’re getting on the phone wondering when Oprah is free to talk about it

He needs to learn to suck it up not launch a PR offensive every time someone questions his performances

There are issues with his approach to games and performances that can’t solely be blamed on an injury that isn’t severe enough to stop him playing every minute of every match. I resent being made to feel an asshole for that because of the startling revelation he doesn’t hate he club or that he does charity work.
 
Last edited:
#07 said:
Marcus' interview helped me understand, to some extent, why we were as bad as we were yesterday. Although that in itself was a bit worrying.

He was extremely emotional, his voice cracked and nearly broke several times. Going into a final that wound up is a big no-no. In any walk of life nobody is going to produce their best if they're that emotionally on edge. The coaching staff probably tried to take the tension down a few notches but, it was evident from Marcus after the game, they clearly failed.

You also could tell from what he said that the players are paying attention to the media. That's another big no-no. He was referencing headlines, defending Ole's record. On the one hand that's positive. The players like Ole, they want to continue with him and they want to change the narrative that he's not going to take the club forward. On the other hand the fact that they're so conscious of these headlines is a problem. You can't go into games like this worrying about what people will say after. You have to play without those kind of things weighing you down. The fact the players are aware of the 'blah, blah, blah,' to quote Rashford, and its one of the first things on his mind when the game ends is a bad thing. The players need to be able to block that stuff out and focus on the game.

Everything coming out of Marcus' mouth last night makes me think that, mentally, we're not where we need to be to compete. The best teams are powered by belief. In big moments they play as if they have ice in their veins. Our side plays with too much of a monkey on its back.
Click to expand...
Well, what a good post. I would add to this, is the issue of character. Markus - these days, anyway - is a all-consumed attention seeker. A lot of philanthropists are like that. Desparate for approval, etc etc. So the stuff with Obama interview, the headlines about him feeding the children of England etc., would all be on his mind as well as the critical importance of the match, incoming headlines, Ole's future etc. The Blah Blah Blah is the issue with Rashford, that's his primary injury, after that there is the spinal injury, the shoulder, the ankle, the whatever. All these insights explain a lot. For instance, the out-of-phase dynamic with Shaw, the inattention on the pitch, the weird lapses, the non-existent decision making. Because each decision is overthought, over self-conscious and as you say, weighed down with enough baggage to fill the hold of a small cargo ship.
 
Last edited:
To me only Greenwood and Cavani looked like it meant something.

Greenwood wasn't very good, but he did run himself out of gaz. He did try. He just wasn't capable of changing the outcome.
 
FattyFooty said:
To me only Greenwood and Cavani looked like it meant something.

Greenwood wasn't very good, but he did run himself out of gaz. He did try. He just wasn't capable of changing the outcome.
Click to expand...
Add McTominay and Awb to that.
 
I’m sorry to say that I think Rashford’s off field activities have distracted from his focus on football.

What he has achieved off the pitch is huge, and is more important than sport - but there’s no denying that being involved in off field activities to the level he is must distract from a career which requires 100% focus if you’re going to be the absolute best.

It’s fortunate that his off field distraction is a thoroughly wholesome one, but when I see stuff like him chatting to President Obama at only 23 I do sort of feel like we’ve already lost him to something bigger.

I’m sure he meant every word of his interview but after that performance (and his general performance level this season) it felt like over compensation.
 
MyOnlySolskjaer said:
Can’t win, if he did less in his interview people would argue he doesn’t care.
Click to expand...
Spot on.
The guy has given his all through injury (stupidly) and is clearly burnt out. I was critical of him in the heat of the moment during the final, but he clearly loves the club.
Rest and competition for his place is needed to bring the best and more consistent performances back out of him again.Without his goals and assists this season we are nowhere.
 
Swedish_Plumber said:
Spot on.
The guy has given his all through injury (stupidly) and is clearly burnt out. I was critical of him in the heat of the moment during the final, but he clearly loves the club.
Rest and competition for his place is needed to bring the best and more consistent performances back out of him again.Without his goals and assists this season we are nowhere.
Click to expand...

If we took reputation and favouritism
out of it I reckon If we started this season with James or Pogba on the left and Greenwood right with Cavani/martial up top we’d be in almost exactly the same place. Top 4, deep EL run. I’m almost certain of it. It’s just we wouldn’t have to listen to how Marcus is running himself into the ground for us after yet another tight game with no work, spark or creativity. Ole shot us in the foot how many times against average teams that sat back against us this year yet he still always played him in those games. It’s crazy. Especially since January. If we’d got him out of the team since jan we’d be about 2 goals and 2 assists down I think and that’s being kind. In about 30 games. We really think nobody else in our squad is capable of those numbers while actually adding a bit of work rate and drive to the team? Ole had Pogba and James there all season and he absolutely bottled it.
 
Ali Dia said:
If we took reputation and favouritism
out of it I reckon If we started this season with James or Pogba on the left and Greenwood right with Cavani/martial up top we’d be in almost exactly the same place. Top 4, deep EL run. I’m almost certain of it. It’s just we wouldn’t have to listen to how Marcus is running himself into the ground for us after yet another tight game with no work, spark or creativity. Ole shot us in the foot how many times against average teams that sat back against us this year yet he still always played him in those games. It’s crazy. Especially since January. If we’d got him out of the team since jan we’d be about 2 goals and 2 assists down I think and that’s being kind. In about 30 games. We really think nobody else in our squad is capable of those numbers while actually adding a bit of work rate and drive to the team? Ole had Pogba and James there all season and he absolutely bottled it.
Click to expand...
Let me preface this by saying I think Rashford would be in trouble on current form if we signed Sancho.
However If we started the season with the players you mention we’d have an even more out of form Martial (in relation to Rashfords current form), an ageing Cavani and Greenwood who only hit his stride in the past 2/3 months. Then you take into account the injuries to Pogba and Martial and we see a James/Cavani/Greenwood front three. In a 60 game season relying on those three is suicide. We aren’t securing top 4 as early (if at all).
And that’s not even starting on the quality difference between Rashford and James. Yes Pogba has had a few impressive displays at left wing but going on about work rate and using him is a bit rich.
This forum always needs a scapegoat and it appears to be Marcus now. You’ve basically said Rashford has been pointless this season and all we need is a bit of hard work from Dan fecking James to have matched what he’s brought this season. There’s absolutely no way you can convince me James would’ve helped Bruno carry us though whilst Pogba was injured in the same fashion Rashford did.
 
Swedish_Plumber said:
Let me preface this by saying I think Rashford would be in trouble on current form if we signed Sancho.
However If we started the season with the players you mention we’d have an even more out of form Martial (in relation to Rashfords current form), an ageing Cavani and Greenwood who only hit his stride in the past 2/3 months. Then you take into account the injuries to Pogba and Martial and we see a James/Cavani/Greenwood front three. In a 60 game season relying on those three is suicide. We aren’t securing top 4 as early (if at all).
And that’s not even starting on the quality difference between Rashford and James. Yes Pogba has had a few impressive displays at left wing but going on about work rate and using him is a bit rich.
This forum always needs a scapegoat and it appears to be Marcus now. You’ve basically said Rashford has been pointless this season and all we need is a bit of hard work from Dan fecking James to have matched what he’s brought this season. There’s absolutely no way you can convince me James would’ve helped Bruno carry us though whilst Pogba was injured in the same fashion Rashford did.
Click to expand...

James in his limited time on the pitch since he got back in has actually been more of a threat than Rashford. He’s certainly been a lot more hard working and unpredictable. Same with Pogba on the left. That’s the kind of player Cavani needs supplying him. How anyone can say this player or that player couldn’t have done more than Rashford if they were given the same amount of minutes relative to his actual performances. I don’t buy it. Rashfords fans had his numbers in the first half of the season despite his performances lacking in dynamics and intensity and then once the numbers dried up they just blamed his injuries. If we had a more ruthless manager Rashford would have been on the bench by the end of March. Dan fecking James couldn’t have done any worse in that final than Marcus.
 
If he's been playing injured for most of the season, that's an extremely stupid decision by the player and the club. Why would you risk a season or more if he can tend to it in a month or two? It doesn't make sense on any level.

In either case, we really need competition for his place. He should start as an impact sub and prove himself to be a starter. But I doubt that will ever happen.
 
Ali Dia said:
James in his limited time on the pitch since he got back in has actually been more of a threat than Rashford. He’s certainly been a lot more hard working and unpredictable. Same with Pogba on the left. That’s the kind of player Cavani needs supplying him. How anyone can say this player or that player couldn’t have done more than Rashford if they were given the same amount of minutes relative to his actual performances. I don’t buy it. Rashfords fans had his numbers in the first half of the season despite his performances lacking in dynamics and intensity and then once the numbers dried up they just blamed his injuries. If we had a more ruthless manager Rashford would have been on the bench by the end of March. Dan fecking James couldn’t have done any worse in that final than Marcus.
Click to expand...
We are a team that heavily relies on moments of individual brilliance. Replacing Rashford for James does not turn us into a team capable of creating chance after chance. So over the course of the season and how we’ve played, James would not improve us. Rashford has been given playing time despite his form because he’s a match winner, and has proven over the course of the season he is invaluable to the team.
With regards to your point about the final, of course it’s clear now how terrible he was and deserved to come off the pitch. But ask a majority of posters about the starting line up before the game if they’d have Rashford or James in that line up then I know what the answers gonna be.
 
MyOnlySolskjaer said:
Can’t win, if he did less in his interview people would argue he doesn’t care.
Click to expand...

Why are you so hung up if Rashford cares or not?

Believe it or not but most people use their own eyes to assess on how a footballer has performed on the pitch and not what Rashford or others say to the press / social media.
 
Ali Dia said:
If we took reputation and favouritism
out of it I reckon If we started this season with James or Pogba on the left and Greenwood right with Cavani/martial up top we’d be in almost exactly the same place. Top 4, deep EL run. I’m almost certain of it. It’s just we wouldn’t have to listen to how Marcus is running himself into the ground for us after yet another tight game with no work, spark or creativity. Ole shot us in the foot how many times against average teams that sat back against us this year yet he still always played him in those games. It’s crazy. Especially since January. If we’d got him out of the team since jan we’d be about 2 goals and 2 assists down I think and that’s being kind. In about 30 games. We really think nobody else in our squad is capable of those numbers while actually adding a bit of work rate and drive to the team? Ole had Pogba and James there all season and he absolutely bottled it.
Click to expand...
So you have gone from desperately blaming Rashford’s poor form in the last months for basically everything to trying to convince us now that without Rashford we would have done equally well.

Yep. If I take into account how awful Martial has been all season, how awful and out of form plus injured/covid Pogba was in the first few months of the season, how out of form Greenwood was only until a few months ago and that Cavani got match fit and started contributing regularly only after a few months, and that James is not and never will be a starter, plus Martial and Cavani’s 3 match bans, then yes I can definitely see how without Rashford’s contributions especially in the first half of the season we would exactly be where we are now.
No matter how often you write it - and boy you have really been writing the same stuff for long enough now - Rashford has been our best attacking player after Bruno if we consider the whole season.
Yes we can all make up stuff how player x would have done equally well, but I prefer to judge the players on what they actually have done.
Rashford has been overplayed and Ole should have rotated more, but to just ignore that he carried us with Bruno when all our other attacking players were injured/not fit/not playing well at all is pure delusion.
 
pastyfool said:
If only some of the 'fans' on here would think about this before posting...
Click to expand...


Let’s not go full on Prince Harry. A player that’s been shit will get called out as being shit we don’t need to discuss how much good he’s done raising money for the local cat sanctuary over some herbal tea
 
-Supreme- said:
Why are you so hung up if Rashford cares or not?

Believe it or not but most people use their own eyes to assess on how a footballer has performed on the pitch and not what Rashford or others say to the press / social media.
Click to expand...


I find it bizarre. Does all other criticism they have come from a belief that the players they’re digging out have deliberately conspired to be awful?

“Oh now we know Rashford wasn’t trying to be terrible I’ll take it all back”

Bonkers
 
-Supreme- said:
Why are you so hung up if Rashford cares or not?

Believe it or not but most people use their own eyes to assess on how a footballer has performed on the pitch and not what Rashford or others say to the press / social media.
Click to expand...

It adds context. The reasons make sense, he's playing through injury whilst many posters here thinks he doesn't care.
 
It doesn't stack up though - because he gives an interview like that but yet on the pitch a 34yo Cavani is out-running and out-working him.

I don't want to hear any excuses about injuries either. If you're so badly injured you can't run or you can't work hard to close players down, then you should be making it clear to the manager and the coaching staff that you're not fit to play. Don't say you are and then act like you're not for 120-minutes. I can't believe any player would be 'forced' to play in the modern game, particularly one who has hardly set the world alight. Therefore, I can only assume Rashford is telling the management he is fine.
 
Lentwood said:
It doesn't stack up though - because he gives an interview like that but yet on the pitch a 34yo Cavani is out-running and out-working him.

I don't want to hear any excuses about injuries either. If you're so badly injured you can't run or you can't work hard to close players down, then you should be making it clear to the manager and the coaching staff that you're not fit to play. Don't say you are and then act like you're not for 120-minutes. I can't believe any player would be 'forced' to play in the modern game, particularly one who has hardly set the world alight. Therefore, I can only assume Rashford is telling the management he is fine.
Click to expand...

His injuries haven’t stopped him making himself available for every minute of every match for the last god knows how long.
 
stw2022 said:
I find it bizarre. Does all other criticism they have come from a belief that the players they’re digging out have deliberately conspired to be awful?

“Oh now we know Rashford wasn’t trying to be terrible I’ll take it all back”

Bonkers
Click to expand...
Exactly, he was completely useless in the final but oh look he's sad... That makes it ok.
 
MyOnlySolskjaer said:
It adds context. The reasons make sense, he's playing through injury whilst many posters here thinks he doesn't care.
Click to expand...

We can only judge players on how they have performed on the pitch, people can only speculate with players personal circumstances and physical conditions except for the professional physios and doctors at United. IF the player himself, doctors and the manager regard Rashford fit enough to play then why do we continue giving excuses to a certain player but unsurprisingly no one even tried to defend Lindelof with his reported injuries?
 
Last edited:
SAFMUTD said:
Exactly, he was completely useless in the final but oh look he's sad... That makes it ok.
Click to expand...


I’m sure the other threads in the player performances section of the site will expose some rank hypocrisy too
 
-Supreme- said:
We can only judge players on how they have performed on the pitch as people can only speculate with players personal circumstances and physical conditions except for the professional physios and doctors at United. IF they and the manager regard Rashford fit enough to play then why do we continue giving excuses to a certain player but unsurprisingly no one even tried to defend Lindelof with his reported injuries?
Click to expand...


Steve Bruce had toothache in 95, Nani missed a penalty once but his dog was very sick and Rooney’s decline towards the end was due to some real and painful psychological issues he faced over the constant battle against male pattern baldness we should have all been far more sensitive to.

Players I didn’t like? They underperformed because they were wankers
 
This is the latest comment from Ole last month re. Rashford's injuries

‘Marcus is travelling and we have to make a decision tomorrow if he starts or is on the bench. I don’t think he’ll play 90 minutes.’

‘I don’t pick players when we know there is a risk,’ he added.

‘There’s always a risk when you step out on to the pitch, but if the physio says it’s too much of a risk I would never pick him.

‘Now, Marcus joined in training this morning and let’s see how he reacts.

‘If there’s any risk of making this worse, I’m not going to overplay him. His back has recovered, but he’s a tough one and he wants to play, he wants to give his all for Man United.

‘We’ll listen to what he says like we did on Saturday when he came off and said it was too sore.’
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
united_99 said:
So you have gone from desperately blaming Rashford’s poor form in the last months for basically everything to trying to convince us now that without Rashford we would have done equally well.

Yep. If I take into account how awful Martial has been all season, how awful and out of form plus injured/covid Pogba was in the first few months of the season, how out of form Greenwood was only until a few months ago and that Cavani got match fit and started contributing regularly only after a few months, and that James is not and never will be a starter, plus Martial and Cavani’s 3 match bans, then yes I can definitely see how without Rashford’s contributions especially in the first half of the season we would exactly be where we are now.
No matter how often you write it - and boy you have really been writing the same stuff for long enough now - Rashford has been our best attacking player after Bruno if we consider the whole season.
Yes we can all make up stuff how player x would have done equally well, but I prefer to judge the players on what they actually have done.
Rashford has been overplayed and Ole should have rotated more, but to just ignore that he carried us with Bruno when all our other attacking players were injured/not fit/not playing well at all is pure delusion.
Click to expand...

I said starting back a few months now his numbers and his passion were what his fans always hung onto even when the average blinkered performance was nothing short of dreadful. The whole second half of the season was leading up to the final “performance” just to conveniently sum up what I’ve been saying for too long. That’s why I’ve been become vocal and disillusioned this season. This is where it’s been heading all along. It wasn't exactly a one off bad day was it? The manager has also been rewarding his mediocre form with starts in every game reinforcing this idea that we can’t do without him and that it’s ok for him to walk around the pitch in the hope he’ll eventually knick a goal.….. And if that’s the case then he’s basically just been wasting a space in the team since after Xmas.

You’ll have staunch Rashford supporters and top reds tell you with no hint of irony that Fred James or lindelof are totally shit but at least they always work their assess off and keep trying for the team even when things aren’t coming off. Give me honest hard work over half arsed skill any day and the rest will take care of itself. For example James has about the same g/a as Rashford over the last 5 months with way less opportunities and trust from the manager. We saw with the subs during the final, Ole won’t take a risk even if it’s staring him in the face. Pogba has probably also done more damage than Rashford on the left since he came in there. Creatively Cavani has overtaken him in 1000 less minutes with minimum fuss while also managing to run rings around him totally out working him at ten years older on the way to a retirement league. It’s just not good enough injuries or not.

I’ll admit that Rashford while not playing well was still very useful up to a point helping us scrape through but he has majorly held the teams attack and balance back since then and the penny still hasn’t dropped with some of you that he’s a major part of the reason we haven’t created consistently enough when it matters and why we struggle with the low block so badly. That’s just how I see it. If we have to be this reliant on Rashford we aren’t winning anything anytime soon.

Oles biggest mistake was not dropping him and giving someone fit a proper shot on the run in. after we blew the title shot with Rashford walking around at WBA Sheffield Utd and palace he should have been gone to the bench or been sent away to rest. Instead he's tried every combination imaginable around him since, dropped the in form Greenwood for him, took a productive Pogba back off the left to get him going again while he continued to stink the place out and here we are. A fair slice of blame obviously has to go to Ole. Don’t insist on playing injured players who are woefully out of form even if they say they can play. It’s fairly simple stuff.

This is genuinely my last post on Rashford until next season. Of course I want him to do well but I have massive doubts. I think he’s going to go and get fit but he’ll still always be the same frustrating player.
 
Last edited:
sugar_kane said:
I’m sorry to say that I think Rashford’s off field activities have distracted from his focus on football.

What he has achieved off the pitch is huge, and is more important than sport - but there’s no denying that being involved in off field activities to the level he is must distract from a career which requires 100% focus if you’re going to be the absolute best.

It’s fortunate that his off field distraction is a thoroughly wholesome one, but when I see stuff like him chatting to President Obama at only 23 I do sort of feel like we’ve already lost him to something bigger.

I’m sure he meant every word of his interview but after that performance (and his general performance level this season) it felt like over compensation.
Click to expand...
Good measured post and one that might just turn out to be true.

It’s happened before where people have turned their backs on successful careers for a higher calling: religion, social/ charity work etc.

If fans on here want to bask in the reflected glory of Utd, I’m sure there’ll be other players to help them achieve that. Personally I don’t feel let down by him or that he’s let the side down
 
sugar_kane said:
I’m sorry to say that I think Rashford’s off field activities have distracted from his focus on football.

What he has achieved off the pitch is huge, and is more important than sport - but there’s no denying that being involved in off field activities to the level he is must distract from a career which requires 100% focus if you’re going to be the absolute best.

It’s fortunate that his off field distraction is a thoroughly wholesome one, but when I see stuff like him chatting to President Obama at only 23 I do sort of feel like we’ve already lost him to something bigger.

I’m sure he meant every word of his interview but after that performance (and his general performance level this season) it felt like over compensation.
Click to expand...

I would have to concur, despite feeling he has done very well for society on the whole. But i still think he should just concentrate on his football. Numerous pundits are saying the same thing. One pundit said Ferguson got rid of Beckham when he felt he got too big.

I really think Rashford should cut back. Take a rest first of all. He looks burnt out as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.