Manchester United: Rashford Thriving as a Centre-Forward Once Again

Marcus Rashford is a natural striker, but stagnated on the wings for nearly 3 years under Mourinho.

You may remember Rashford’s Premier League debut against Arsenal a few years ago under Louis Van Gaal when he was 18, where he scored a brace as starting striker at Old Trafford, all while having a chemistry exam the very next day! This fixture brought him into the spotlight as the potential future of Manchester United’s famous centre-forward position. Up to that point, Rashford had been with the youth teams, but was never somebody who was lighting up at that level. His scoring record didn’t jump off the page, and it was a surprise to many when he translated it into first-team production.

Despite the hot start to his career, Jose Mourinho, who succeeded Louis Van Gaal the summer after Rashford’s breakout, didn’t seem to fancy him as a striker. Mourinho teams require a big, physical striker that can hold up play and Rashford simply isn’t that. He spent the next 2-and-a-half years playing as an attacking midfielder or winger for United, and although he still played well and produced goals and assists, he never improved drastically.

Now, Rashford is working with his 3rd manager, and thankfully for him, this one seems committed to helping him develop as a striker.

Interim manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has started Rashford at striker once again over Romelu Lukaku, and he is thriving.

Rashford has moved back into his natural role under interim manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, and his performances have been extremely promising. Although the 4 sides they have faced aren’t the highest of quality, Rashford has managed to bag 3 goals and even pitch in with an assist.

Truthfully, his worst quality is probably his decision-making. He often picks the wrong pass or option in moves, and as a winger, this can be costly to his side. Him being in the centre-forward position masks this deficiency adequately, as he is now tasked with finishing moves rather than creating them.

His strengths fit both a striker position or a winger position however. He is fast, technically skilled, and can shoot ferociously with either foot. This has been on display in his 4 matches as starting centre-forward, and it seems that his 1v1 capabilities have improved as well. Rashford’s movement has been nothing short of sensational recently, and this came as quite a shock to many, including myself. He has the instincts of a natural striker.

It seems that Rashford’s development is back on track under Solksjaer. At 21, it’s time for him to settle into a long-term position, and that may very well be as striker for Manchester United.