Marcus Rashford's Struggles: Alarm Raised by Michael Owen
Marcus Rashford cut an isolated figure at Craven Cottage. Not just on the ball, but in everything from his body language to his expression. And Michael Owen has seen enough to sound the alarm.
The Manchester United forward has started four of the club’s five Premier League games since returning from loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona. He has played more than 400 minutes. He has not produced a single goal or assist.
For a player of his profile, that’s not a slow start. That’s a problem.
Owen: “He just doesn’t seem to be loving his football”
Speaking on Premier League Productions after United’s 1-1 draw with Fulham on Sunday, Owen zeroed in on Rashford’s demeanour as much as his output.
“On the left, Marcus Rashford has been probably the quietest of those attackers,” Owen said. “He was quiet again today in his body language, just the glum face. He just doesn’t seem to be loving his football which has been a permanent frustration with Marcus.”
The numbers back up the sense of drift. Rashford is keeping his place, but not grabbing games. Not stretching defences. Not looking like the man who once carried United through seasons almost single-handedly.
Owen’s frustration ran deeper than a single performance. He questioned why a player with such obvious gifts so often looks weighed down.
“It does look like the weight of the world is on his shoulders and you just think how? Why? He’s living everybody’s dream,” Owen continued. “Surely there’s something behind the scenes that is making him look as if he’s not enjoying his football at the moment.”
Barcelona stint under the microscope
Owen also revisited Rashford’s time in Spain, a spell many framed as a rebirth. He wasn’t convinced.
“Last chance saloon was Barcelona. I couldn’t believe his luck in getting a team like Barcelona,” Owen said. “He does reasonably well out there, but not well enough for them to keep him and then they end up spending fortunes to replace him by buying Anthony Gordon. So, it wasn’t all perfect. It wasn’t all rosy despite any spin that people put on it.”
That line cuts through the narrative that Barcelona was a complete success. Rashford did enough to stay relevant, not enough to become indispensable. The Catalan club’s decision to move on and invest heavily elsewhere underlined that.
Now back at Old Trafford, the same question hangs over him: is “okay” good enough for a club trying to claw its way back to the top?
“Weak link” warning as competition grows
Owen doesn’t think so. With competition for places intensifying, he believes Rashford is now the most at-risk starter in United’s front line.
“And then he comes back to Manchester United. He’s done okay, but only okay,” Owen said. “And he needs to probably do a little bit better in that front three because his is the position in the attack that would be vulnerable.”
The dynamic is clear. There is “a bit of a demand,” as Owen put it, for Benjamin Sesko to return to the XI when fit. If that happens, the knock-on effect could be brutal for Rashford.
“There’s a bit of a demand for Benjamin Sesko to come back in and start, injury permitting of course. But if that happens, Cunha is going to go on the left and Rashford would be the weak link in that attack as things stand.”
From guaranteed starter to potential casualty of a reshuffle. That is how quickly the landscape can shift when form deserts you at Manchester United.
Injury setback and an uncertain reset
As if the scrutiny wasn’t intense enough, Rashford now faces a spell on the sidelines. A hip issue forced him off in the second half at Craven Cottage, cutting short another subdued outing and ruling him out of England’s upcoming Nations League fixtures against Spain, Czechia, and Croatia over the next three weeks.
He will not have the chance to play his way into rhythm with England. He will not have the spotlight of international football to jolt him back to life.
Instead, the reset must come at Carrington. Quiet training pitches, long rehab sessions, and the knowledge that others are pushing hard for his place.
When he does return to full fitness, Manchester United cannot afford the same version of Marcus Rashford. They need the ruthless, relentless forward he has shown he can be.
The question now is whether that player is still there — and how long a club of United’s ambitions will wait to find out.
