BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks urged Marcus Rashford to “stick two fingers up” to Jose Mourinho and find a new club in the January window.
The ex-striker claimed Rashford’s outstanding performance in Manchester United’s triumph over Fulham on Saturday only served to emphasise how poorly he has been treated by the manager in recent times.
Rashford scored once and supplied two assists in the 4-1 hammering of the Premier League whipping boys after being in and out of the United side this season and for much of Mourinho’s reign.
Crooks told the BBC Sport website as he named Rashford in the team of the week. “I suggested last week that if Jose Mourinho doesn’t commit to building United around Marcus Rashford then the striker should stick two fingers up to his manager and walk out of Old Trafford at the earliest opportunity. Rashford’s performance against Fulham only served to emphasise that point.”
OPINION
There would be a riot at Old Trafford if Man United cashed in on Rashford in the January window. The 21-year-old is an academy product who lives and breathes the club, and has the sort of dazzling potential that the Premier League giants have not had from a home-grown star since the Class of 92. The problem for United is that Mourinho’s track record for developing, nurturing and improving young players is iffy, to say the least. He is impatient and reluctant to place his trust in those still learning the game and require some polishing. That Rashford is a diamond, although somewhat rough in his edges, is blindingly obvious. His goal and assist stats this season might not be amazing – three and five respectively – but the player has started half the league matches and does not have a consistent playing position. He is at his most effective down the middle, but often plays out wide to accommodate Romelu Lukaku. It is a puzzle Mourinho is not close to solving.