Barcelona manager Deco, who signed Marcus Rashford on loan in the summer, has given his thoughts on why Manchester United have faced a difficult period over the years.
Barcelona sporting director Deco has claimed that Marcus Rashford was “too young” and had to shoulder too many responsibilities, which ultimately led to his struggles at Manchester United.
The forward, currently on loan at the Spanish giants, burst onto the scene as a teenager 10 years ago but has yet to feature regularly at Old Trafford, with his long-term future in serious doubt. He made his debut under manager Louis van Gaal in 2016, scoring twice in Europe.
Rashford’s stock rose rapidly, but he had already played for five permanent managers in Manchester and was considered one of the team’s main players from a young age. He was often the first called on when the team was behind, and that was all too regular.
Manager Ruben Amorim seems to have problems with Rashford’s attitude, and while he is on loan with Deco from Manchester for the second time, he insists that repeated upheavals have been a problem, and that he has been forced to take on too much at times.
He told The Times: “He’s happy for us. Marcus is a great player. He faced the responsibility of being an important player at Man United. United are one of the biggest clubs in the world, like us, but they’re too young.
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“Even at United he suffered a little bit with this generational change. If you look at United over the last five years, they were struggling to rebuild the team to get strong again and he was there. So it’s not easy for a player who people demand a lot from. When you’re an important player you have to take on a lot of responsibility.”
“We were looking for a player like him on the market, someone who can play in three positions up front. Due to Marcus’ desire to play for Barcelona, we were able to sign Marcus now on loan. He waited very long. We knew we were dealing with financial rules, but he was patient. We are happy to have him.”
It remains to be seen whether Rashford’s move to Barcelona will become permanent, but there are options on his loan deal. Despite his abundance of quality in Catalonia, Rashford has still proven to be a valuable addition, scoring an impressive brace against Newcastle upon his return to England earlier this season.
The United loanee has scored six goals during his loan spell and appears to have rediscovered his form away from Manchester. He’s endured great heights with his boyhood club, including a 30-goal season, but he’s also taken a hit when things don’t go to plan.
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