Marcus Rashford Blames Manchester United's 'Inconsistent Environment' for Career Struggles

Marcus Rashford has opened up about his struggles at Manchester United, suggesting the club's instability prevented him from reaching his full potential consistently. Take a look at what he said.

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Rashford's Woes

Since his 2016 debut under Louis van Gaal, Rashford played under four permanent managers and three interim bosses at Old Trafford. The constant change in leadership and tactics took its toll. Rashford's most consistent spell came under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He netted 22 goals with 9 assists in 2019-20, followed by 21 goals and 13 assists the next season. His career best season was under Erik ten Hag, scoring 30 goals. After signing a £300,000-per-week contract, Rashford's form plummeted. He managed just 8 goals and 5 assists in 2023-24. Ten Hag publicly warned about his lifestyle after incidents including a Belfast nightclub visit that led to missing training.

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Star for Barcelona

"I feel like I have been in an inconsistent environment for a very long time, so it is even more difficult to be consistent. When people talk about consistency, you need consistent variables in your life and the way you train. We have just had so many changes so far in my career," Rashford said. The 27-year-old forward joined Barcelona on a season-long loan in the summer, with the Spanish giants holding an option to make the move permanent. He has contributed eight goals and assists in just 10 appearances for Barcelona.

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Hansi Flick Happy

Ruben Amorim's arrival marked the end of Rashford's United career. The new manager insisted Rashford needed to "change" and froze him out entirely before the January loan move. Despite a disciplinary incident with Hansi Flick, Barcelona officials are "happy" with Rashford. Sporting director Deco echoed Rashford's views about United's instability being a factor. “He's a very high-level player. Perhaps he struggled too because they demanded a lot of things from him there. But we're happy with him,” Deco said.

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Consistency is Key

Rashford remains in Thomas Tuchel's England squad ahead of the World Cup. With a stable environment at Barcelona, the forward is finally getting the chance to prove his consistency on football's biggest stages. He assessed that Rashford only needs consistency to reach world-class status. If Rashford maintains this form, it is highly likely that Barcelona will activate the clause that makes him a permanent member of the squad.