Lost the ball every 2 touches: £180k-p/w dud who “doesn’t fight” cost Man Utd dearly – opinion
Manchester United squandered two points to Southampton at Old Trafford, their third draw in five games, dropping them out of the top four in the Premier League.
The Red Devils gained the lead in the 21st minute when Jadon Sancho scored, but it wasn’t enough to cling on to victory as Che Adams scored in the early second-half exchanges.
United struggled to hold off Southampton in the second half, with Armando Broja and Adam Armstrong peppering David de Gea with chances in an attempt to take all three points from their lackluster opponents. After the game, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team had only suffered one defeat in their previous ten games.
According to SofaScore, the home team blew yet another lead this season, lost possession 137 times, and had fewer shots than Southampton, costing them the potential to grab all three points.
When looking at the aforementioned data, it is clear that there were a number of concerns on the pitch, and one player who failed to have much of an impression was Marcus Rashford.
Despite providing an assist for Sancho’s goal, the 24-year-old had little impact on the game and did not contribute enough in his position to help his team win.
According to SofaScore, he handed up possession 21 times (one per two touches), lost seven of his 11 duels, allowing Southampton to have more of the ball, and failed on 60% of his dribbles. Rangnick eventually hauled Rashford off the field in the 82nd minute, ending his disaster class and allowing Jesse Lingard to finish the game.
The £180k-per-week star has come under fire this season for his lack of end product and link-up play with his offensive teammates, with only five goals and one assist in 19 appearances across all competitions. Former United assistant coach Steve McClaren also criticized him, claiming that the 24-year-old “gets deterred too easily and doesn’t fight through bad periods.”
Rangnick will be under pressure as top-four rivals Arsenal, West Ham, and Tottenham all play tomorrow, and United may be pushed further away from Champions League status if all three win. Rashford’s lackluster performance today might prove expensive in that context.
