'Enough is enough': Marcus Rashford hits out at months of online abuse amidst Manchester United's struggles

Manchester United star Marcus Rashford has shared a troubling message with his fans on social media, disclosing that he has been subjected to 'months of abuse'. While the Manchester United forward has faced challenges on the pitch this season, with his goal tally falling short of his previous stellar performance, some fans have directed blame towards YouTuber Mark Goldbridge.

Goldbridge operates The United Stand, a popular fan channel boasting 1.85 million subscribers on YouTube. In recent videos, he has been critical of Rashford, even likening him to 'about as useful as a wheelie bin with no wheels.'

In the wee hours of Friday morning, Rashford took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to a post asserting that the criticism he's faced was unjust.

"The way Marcus Rashford is being treated is absolutely disgusting. It's cruel. It's abuse," the post read.

The United forward fired back, expressing his exhaustion with the barrage of abuse he has endured in recent months.

"I appreciate your support! It is abuse and has been for months. Enough is enough," Rashford said.

This season has been a rough ride for Erik ten Hag's squad, enduring a string of disappointments including an early exit from the Champions League and plummeting to sixth place in the Premier League standings. Adding to the pressure, some former professionals and pundits have been relentless in scrutinizing the performances of several United stars.

In a nail-biting match last Sunday, United narrowly secured their spot in the FA Cup final after a tense battle with Championship side Coventry City, which saw them squander a three-goal lead and ultimately triumph on penalties. However, amidst the drama, Rashford suffered an injury and faced jeers from sections of United's support at Wembley.

Following the match, Goldbridge took to his YouTube channel to analyze the game, criticizing Ten Hag's decision to keep Rashford on the pitch for too long. In his reflection, he remarked, 'Leaving Rashford on, who is about as useful as a wheelie bin with no wheels.'

In a separate video after the semi-final, he added, "Why is he [Rashford] still being picked? Why is it not changing, when is it going to change? I'm out of excuses I don't know what to say. He shouldn't be playing for Manchester United at the moment. It's embarrassing."

"What I want to know is is it in his contract [to keep starting]?" he added.

One supporter took to X to comment on the video and stated, "How has Mark Goldbridge managed to turn United bottling a 3-0 lead to Coventry on Rashford."

"Its in Rashford's contract to start every game according to Mark Goldbridge. Claims like this are so toxic," added another X user.

Rashford has recently pushed back against fans questioning his loyalty to Manchester United. Earlier in the season, the forward faced criticism after missing training due to a reported 12-hour tequila binge in Belfast.

"Listen, I'm not a perfect person," Rashford wrote in an article published in the Players Tribune.

"When I make a mistake, I'll be the first one to put my hand up and say I need to do better. But if you ever question my commitment to Man United, that's when I have to speak up. It's like somebody questioning my entire identity and everything I stand for. I grew up here. I have played for this club since I was a boy. My family turned down life-changing money when I was a kid so I could wear this badge," the England footballer added.

On Wednesday, United staged an impressive comeback after conceding an early goal to Sheffield United, ultimately securing a 4-2 victory. However, Goldbridge continued his critique of Rashford's impact in the team by posting another video online.

In his latest analysis, Goldbridge raised doubts about whether United are generating sufficient shots on goal with Rashford on the pitch.

"Do we do that when Rashford's in the team? I don't know because it's Sheffield United, that's the honest answer," he said.

He further added, "But tell me we do that on the regular? We don't, we don't. We don't regularly have 12 shots on target and 90 per cent pass accuracy. We're not regularly doing that."

The YouTuber has a history of delivering fiery rants online, with one memorable instance being his labeling of United's late 4-3 defeat by Chelsea as an 'injustice'.

Rashford has also bravely spoken out against racial abuse following England's heart-wrenching Euro 2020 final loss to Italy. Alongside Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, he endured a barrage of hateful messages online after missing penalties during the final.

In a candid conversation with Gary Neville on The Overlap, Rashford revealed that the onslaught of messages he received made him 'fall out of love with football'.

"I maybe lost my love for football a little bit [after being racially abused following Euro 2020], it was not for a long period of time. My shoulders were also down for a couple of months, and that's probably when it was playing on my mind a little bit more. After that, it was fine. I was desperate to get playing again in a United shirt – I love to just play football and as soon as I did that, I wanted to play for England again," the United star had said.