OPINION: Manchester United should sell Marcus Rashford

As a Manchester United fan, it hurts to say this but Marcus Rashford should be sold when the January transfer window opens. His latest comments about being ready for a new challenge undermines what the new Red Devils manager Ruben Amorim is trying to achieve.

The striker’s entitlement is disappointing to say the least and he should have known better than to publicly open his mouth about being dropped for the Manchester derby against Manchester City last Sunday.

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Rashford is not a youngster anymore and his behaviour is unacceptable. As a local boy that made his way through the United youth ranks to the first team, he should be a shining example of what it means to play at the Theatre of Dreams. 

There’s no compelling argument for Amorim to go to war with a player that wants to leave. Firstly, his commitment will be questioned every time he has a poor game. 

Secondly, what message does it send to players who are pulling their weight only to be left on the bench for a player that has no interest in the new direction the club is taking?

For years we have questioned how and why the standards have dropped at the record 20-time English champions. When playing for arguably the biggest club in the world, the bare minimum a player can do is to track back when out of possession.

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Rashford’s body language has been questionable for some time now. He doesn’t track back the team loses the ball and just doesn’t look interested in football anymore. The culture of mediocrity is clearly not going to be tolerated by the Portuguese coach and rightfully so if the club wants to get back to reclaim its glory days. 

The 27-year-old was ill-advised to give a comment on being left out of the team and should have done his talking on the pitch. Under Amorim, United finally has a clear identity and the English international should have knuckled down to prove that he’s committed to the cause.

The dramatic 2-1 win over City without Rashford is proof that Amorim is big on unity rather than nursing individual egos. Poor work ethic has been allowed to fester on for longer than it should have since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 after a 27-year successful reign. 

Why would a player who is a lifelong Reds fan not want to get behind the Amorim project? It just talks to the entitlement and basking in the glory of past individual achievements. This should never be allowed and Amorim is rooting out all the bad apples in United’s change room.

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There’s no denying Rashford’s huge talent and that’s why he’s such a polarising figure amongst the United fans but cutting him loose is in the best interest of the club. It also sends a message that no one is bigger than the club itself.