To You, Marcus Rashford: The Dreamer Who Made Us Believe
After Ruben Amorim excluded Marcus Rashford from the Derby squad, rumors have been swirling about him leaving the Red Devils. The forward himself confirmed that he is ready for a new challenge.
This article is not to defend Rashford or his form. Some of his applications and body have been inexcusable. But if he is set to leave in January, he has to know that a lot of Manchester United fans are grateful to him for being a beacon of hope in the darkest days.
The Kid Who Lived His Dream
Each Manchester United fan remembers his debut against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League. He came on as a substitute for the injured Antony Martial in the warmups. The Red Devils were already 2-1 down on aggregate and needed a win to progress. The question was: would this kid help the Red Devils turn the tie around??
And boy, he did. Rashford scored a brace in a 5-1 rout to help Manchester United progress. Three days later, against Arsenal, he scored another brace, and a star was born. The famous Red Devils Academy did it again.
No one of us forgets the Derby winning goals against City. His brace in a 2-1 win against Liverpool in 2017. The goal against Celta Vigo that helped the Red Devils win the Europa League in 2017. The winning penalty in that famous night in Patis. The explosion in 2022/2023 and him lifting the team on his back, guiding the Red Devils to the Carabao Cup. That exquisite performance in the Camp Nou. The equalizer against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinal. 90% of the Red Devils brightest moments after Sir Alex Ferguson have been courtesy of Rashford.
After all these moments, some fan channels and accounts on social media started building their brand on abusing him. A lot of myths that are not even remotely true have been discussed about him. Let’s dive into them.
Dismantling the Myths:
Two myths have always been said about Marcus Rashford: he is inconsistent, and he does not put his body on the line for the club.
Rashford Is Inconsistent
Regarding the inconsistency, Marcus Rashford is number 12 on the Manchester United top goal scorers in history list with 138 goals. He is also number 8 in the Premier League top goal scorers list with 87 goals.
Names before him in both lists include Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Ruud van Nisterlrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dennis Law, Sir Bobby Charlton, Andy Cole, Ole Gunnar Solakjaer, and George Best.
What is common between all the above names? They are all considered club legends and played in teams capable of winning the Premier League and the Uefa Champions League. They all had high-quality teammates around them to make their jobs easier. They all also worked under the greatest managers in Manchester United history.
A lot will see this and say, Yeah, it is because of stat padding and scoring against small teams. Guess what? Marcus Rashford has 26 goals against the top six. All his goals have been scored in the after-Sir Alex Ferguson era when the Red Devils were not really competitive.
He Does Not Put His Body on the Line
Another myth is that Marcus Rashford does not put his body on the line for the club and that he does not care. Adding to it that he is a dressing room cancer from some famous fan channels.
Famously, Marcus Rashford did not play the remainder of the 2019/2020 season with a fractured back because the club needed him. The forward did not rush back from injury in Ole’s last season because results were bad. He did not play left back under Jose Mourinho when the Portuguese coach wanted to prove a point. Surely, these are all the actions of someone who does not care and does not put his body on the line?
Regarding him as a teammate, Dutch fullback Tyrell Malacia said in a recent interview with The Athletic that he speaks with Marcus Rashford on a daily basis and he is always there for him when he needs them. Clearly the sign of a bad teammate.
Rashford has time and time again put his body on the line for this club. His teammates say that he is a good teammate who is always there for anyone who needs him. Should we believe the fan channels and faceless accounts on social media or the countless evidence saying otherwise in front of our eyes?
Dealing With Constant Abuse
The abuse that the English forward has been subject to is intolerable. Articles in the media about his cars. Guess what? He is a rich man; all footballers are.
Clips on social media had been cut to show a lack of effort only for him without context. When Garnacho missed an open goal against Fulham at the start of the season, social media accounts were criticizing Rashford for giving the ball to his teammate with an open net!!!
His work to help feed children and deliver books is being looked at as PR. Did people truly lose faith in humanity to the extent of perceiving someone attempting to feed children as part of a PR campaign?
His recent trip to the United States to attend a basketball game is proof of that. His teammate Casemiro went also to a basketball game in the same country, yet only Marcus Rashford’s trip was talked about with subtle hints of racism inserted in the middle of it. Yet the trip was approved by the club, and Amorim said he was fine with it.
After his exclusion in the derby squad, all talk was about him, although his teammate Alejandro Garnacho was also excluded. You would not know that if you were following mainstream media.
I got a comment on X today saying that footballers should be able to cope with abuse because they are paid a lot of money. Is it okay to abuse someone because they are being paid a lot of money? Is it okay to destroy their mental health because they don’t play well for the club you like and want to win? Is it okay to judge someone trying to do good as a PR campaign without any evidence proving that?
All of the above is not okay. The level of abuse and ridicule that Marcus Rashford has been subject to is equal to the one Harry Maguire has been subject to. Maguire managed to get back from it and prove his worth, and part of me wishes Rashford could too.
History Will Not Be Rewritten
No amount of abuse or history rewriting will change what Marcus Rashford did to Manchester United. In another era, he would have been celebrated as a club legend and revered as another honored member of Manchester United’s famous academy history. Instead, in this era of dopamine rush, new transfers, and instant success, it’s easier to discard and abuse a local lad than to help him rebuild his confidence.
Marcus Rashford, you lived your dream. You played for your childhood club; you made a lot of us fans dream. You gave us moments that we will always be grateful for and will always be entrenched in Manchester United history. No smear campaign by fan channels or social media abuse by faceless accounts will take that from you. A lot of us are grateful for what you did to the club you called home since you were seven years old.
A lot of us, myself included, are hoping that you can latch on the opportunity of a new challenge under Amorim and get back to your best. Yet, if that is the end, thank you for everything you did for us and for making a lot of us dream and being a beacon of hope in the club’s darkest days, and good luck in your next journey wherever it takes you.
I, for one, will always be grateful that I have watched you play football for Manchester United Football Club
About The Author
