Louis Saha doesn't believe Marcus Rashford is enjoying his time on the pitch with Manchester United lately, and that's what's behind a season-long slump from 2023-24 that has extended into the current campaign.
Rashford scored just eight goals across all competitions last season and has four so far in 2024-25, after a dominant 2022-23 campaign which saw the 26-year-old score 30 times in 56 total appearances for the Red Devils.
Saha thinks Rashford may now be trying too hard to break out of his doldrums, and it's affecting his production and his enjoyment of the game.
“Marcus Rashford isn’t necessarily a guy who always plays with a smile on his face, like Ronaldinho," Saha said while speaking to Paddy Power. "Can you ask him to change his personality? No. In terms of his approach, sometimes he’s trying to do too much, and it can be frustrating when things don’t go your way.
“Everyone can be frustrated – as fans, we are frustrated, so imagine how the players feel. I’m sure that when he gets back into it and is enjoying football again, his body language will change too."
Saha says part of the problem lies with how United manager Erik ten Hag has his team set up, which has caused the downturn in Rashford's output. However, the retired former United striker stressed that Rashford must also take some responsibility.
“The football that they are playing is not enjoyable," Saha said. "I won't say it’s all due to the tactics, but it’s part of Marcus’ job to find the right balance and communication to the fans and people that he is working with – he does need to understand that.
“I was surprised against Porto [on Oct. 3] that he came off at half time after scoring, when he’s just finding his feet, and the next week he was playing. I’m baffled with the decisions sometimes.”
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