Manchester United: Trawlers Limited

Boring, boring Man United.

 

Inter's last 6 goals are as follows.

Alexis (Lukaku)
Alexis (Lukaku)
Alexis
Darmian (Lukaku)
Lukaku (Martinez)
Lukaku

 

Still incredible to see the impact he has made in the last year.

 

kinda interesting they use his full name...as if there was another shaw or luke on United or even the field.

 

and this is wild I had no idea

https://theathletic.com/2413728/202...-haalands-dad-20-years-on/?source=weeklyemail

 

What should we think? I'm seeing Twitter commentary saying it's just promoting internal people and not going for a top talent.

 

Rather anemic bench, still a very outmatched Milan side, who are out 4 forwards.

 

Kid is going to be special. If Rashford can get healthy, Greenwood figures things out and Martial continues to be a super sub, Diallo will round things out nicely on the attack.

 

Well, it was a good run for a few months Cavani...

 

A lot of good on the bottom line to enjoy (win over city, 2nd place, 4 league clean sheets in a row, fa cup qtr finals, etc) recently

buttttt

Trip to Milan with a lot to prove, and @ Leicester ~70 hours later could put us in a much different position than we are now, with two cups on the line.

Spoiler

538 gives us 95% likelihood to qualify for CL and 62% to advance in EL vs AC Milan

 

Marcus Rashford lets out a gleaming smile as he reflects on his Manchester United debut. February 25 will mark five years since he scored twice against Midtjylland in a first-team entrance so unexpected his family were not at Old Trafford, thinking he would only be a substitute.

“It feels ages ago, I’ve just been through so much since then,” he tells The Athletic.

His 83rd goal for United, against Southampton, saw him overtake Eric Cantona in United’s all-time scoring charts, and a cross against Everton with David Beckham whip took his total number of assists to 37, according to Opta. Rashford has become consistent at providing and finishing, yet asking him to pick a preference produces a conclusive answer. “I think all forwards prefer scoring!” he replies instantly.

Rashford has achieved much already at 23 years old, especially in the past year off the pitch. But today he wants to talk about what he’s done on it. Considering it is eight months before he turns 24, the age at which Sir Alex Ferguson believed a player reached physical and mental maturity, the potential for his future is hugely appealing.

Behind Rashford in the VIP room at Carrington are trophies that have been gifted to United by visiting clubs. Silverware from Bayern Munich glistens on the wall of a room United use to welcome guests to the training ground. The real prizes are kept elsewhere, and the conversation turns to the prospect of Rashford adding to his collection of FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League winners’ medals.

Lifting the Premier League is a burning ambition.

“Every year is an opportunity for us to do it,” he states in a tone that suggests Champions League qualification is not an achievement in itself. “This year is probably the biggest one we’ve had because we’ve managed to be consistent early on and put together results. There have been many games this year where we know we’ve underperformed as a team, but we’ve found a way. If we are to win things this season we need to carry that on and even improve it.”

Everton’s late equaliser at Old Trafford on Saturday damaged the momentum. “If you can’t finish a game off by scoring two or three more, you have to hold onto that one-goal lead,” he says. “Teams that can do that when they’re not playing well, they’re the teams that can win things like leagues.”

Rashford has grown up in the glare of the fiercest pressure and now, in a campaign in which he has 16 goals and eight assists in all competitions, there is scrutiny on every performance. But an account from someone who witnessed his training sessions in those weeks before his debut gives an indication of the tenacity to succeed that came from within.

“The thing that most impressed me was his mentality,” says a source with a vast knowledge of United. “Pretty shy, but with a little bit of confidence. Not cocky. He believed in himself. You saw he had an inner steel.”

Rashford thinks back: “It was a period when I was learning so much every day, I was between the under-18s, the under-23s and the first team. My progression sped up a lot when I first trained with them.”

The week before the Midtjylland game, manager Louis van Gaal and his assistants Albert Stuivenberg and Ryan Giggs went to observe a reserves session led by Warren Joyce as first-team training had finished early on a recovery day. Within five minutes Rashford had scored two goals “from nowhere”.

He left a lasting impression on the coaches when it came to deciding a squad hit by injuries for the coming Europa League tie. When Anthony Martial’s hamstring problem in the warm-up saw Rashford promoted to the starting line-up, the results were dramatic.



Rashford announced himself as a Manchester United player in spectacular style (Photo: John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Two first-time finishes around the six-yard box transformed his career overnight. “We were a little bit short of options, but he would have got there anyway,” says the source.

Nowadays, Rashford can score all sorts of goals. The pick of his goals this season came at the Amex Stadium in September, when he collected a pass by Bruno Fernandes, twice left Brighton defender Ben White on the floor with sharp changes of direction and struck a left-foot shot into the top corner.



Rashford realised he had to isolate White to give himself the best chance of scoring against Brighton (Photo: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
It was a stylish way to bring up the 10,000th goal in United history, but listening to Rashford explain his thought process, it becomes clear that the final flourishes were practical rather than performative.

“You have to be able to adapt,” he says while watching a clip of the goal playing back on his laptop via Wyscout. “Even in terms of personnel, the player trying to defend you, you have to be able to register that information and I always think, ‘I’m gonna give the defender something he doesn’t like’.

“When Bruno played the pass in behind, I wanted to get to the ball as quickly as possible but I was looking to get it across the face of goal really to see if Mason (Greenwood) or Anthony were there. But when I got to the ball they were a little bit further back, so I had to isolate him (White) one against one and do what I can do to give myself the best chance of scoring.


“On that occasion, I had to chop him to go onto my left. It’s whatever you see as the bigger chance for scoring. If it’s cutting inside and shooting that’s what you’re gonna do. Everything happens so quickly, you just have to make these decisions. That was the decision I went with.

“I probably could have shot when I came inside, but there are other things like the positioning of the keeper, whether you can see a lot of the net on that side, that all plays on your mind as you’re dribbling with the ball.”

Rashford watches clips of Thierry Henry, a player who often delighted by doing the unexpected to a functional end, and there was a similar scenario against Everton. Sent through by Fernandes, Rashford checked back onto his left rather than shoot with his right as goalkeeper Robin Olsen had the angle covered. The shift opened out the goal but his finish whistled wide.

On other occasions, such as at the Emirates when Luke Shaw’s cross found Rashford at the far post, stride patterns might be a factor in a choice of whether to shoot first time or manipulate the ball into a better position. “In the moment, it’s all split seconds,” Rashford adds.

This season, Rashford has 16 goals and eight assists in all competitions, better already than every campaign since his debut except 2019-20, when he registered 22 goals and eight assists. Seven of those goals last season were penalties, with just one in 2020-21 so far, so Rashford’s trajectory from open play is markedly upwards.

How Rashford's United output has increased in all comps
SEASON GOALS ASSISTS
2015-16
8
2
2016-17
11
4
2017-18
13
8
2018-19
13
7
2019-20
22
8
2020-21
16
8
“If you get yourself in the right areas, goals and assists come naturally,” he says. “You have to make sure you keep getting there. That’s the tough bit. Of course, there are spells in the season where it doesn’t quite go your way, but when that happens, you can’t lose focus and stop making the runs to get there.”

One assist that stands out came last season at Carrow Road, when Rashford and Martial seemed to show a telepathic connection to cut through Norwich’s defence.



Martial shows his appreciation to Rashford after scoring at Carrow Road (Photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
The footage appears on Rashford’s screen. He explains: “The backheel and the finish are what people speak about but the work is done before that, the pass into his feet, and when I follow my run to give him another option.

“If he gives it me back, I can’t get a finish on the goal, so automatically in your head, you’re trying to find your strike partner because you know he’s doing the same. You’ve given the ball to him and ran and he’s given you the ball back into an open space. I think it was the full-back who followed me inside so the space is on my left, and he shouted for the ball.

“The backheel is actually a little bit heavy, because he’s had to dink the keeper, but it’s a great finish and a great goal.”


If criticising a backheel assist sounds a little harsh, it is an indication of the precision he applies when trying to create a scoring opportunity. When he sprinted clear to finish against Chelsea on the opening day of last season, all it took was a look with Paul Pogba to trigger the move.

“Sometimes, you have to shout for the ball, but it’s better if you don’t,” he says. “You have to get the eye contact.”

Certain circumstances are rehearsed at Carrington so they become second nature. “The player on the ball and the type of passes they’re good at influences the speed or angle of your run,” he adds. “So when a situation comes up in the game and a certain player has time on the ball, even if he chooses a different option, he knows that I was there as an option and maybe the next time he finds you.”



Sometimes eye contact is enough to trigger a move (Photo: Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)
Statistics show Rashford runs often and long. Among Premier League forwards this season, he has made the third-most sprints per 90 minutes (behind Oliver Burke and Raphinha), covering an average distance bettered by only Callum Hudson-Odoi.

“The first thing you’re trying to do when you make a run in behind is create a chance on goal,” he says. “The second thing is to affect the back line. If you can make the back line drop, somebody else will be free maybe in the middle of the pitch, or on the opposite side.

“If the back line pushes up, I might be in on goal or offside. But if I’m offside, someone else making a later run might be in on goal. And if the defence drops back, it might be possible for the person on the ball to find someone in a pocket of space who can turn and dribble. You have to find a balance.”

Rashford clears his mind before stepping onto the pitch. “I just try to have faith that whatever pictures I see on the pitch I’m gonna choose to do the right thing,” he says. “And if I don’t, make sure that the next time I do.”

Losses sting for Rashford, who is best left alone for the 24 hours after a defeat. He is often so tired he falls asleep soon after eating his post-match meal. “Whether you win or lose, for me when you leave a pitch you have to know you’ve given your all, and you’ve worked hard for yourself and your team-mates,” he says.

That ethos was enhanced as an academy player by studying Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo train. “When we were going to Old Trafford, I’d see them do exciting things on the pitch, then after I’d go home and watch them on YouTube,” he says. “Those two together, when they were in their prime, it was an absolute joy. It was a privilege to be able to learn from them.”

One of Rashford’s first visits to Old Trafford was aged 13, for the derby against Manchester City when Rooney scored his overhead kick. He would go on to play alongside Rooney and the pair are still friendly. Rooney occasionally offers advice and has told friends he thinks Rashford has the potential to break his club scoring record of 253 goals.



Rooney believes Rashford has the potential to replace him as United’s highest goalscorer (Photo: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images)
“You can definitely take things from their game and try to put them in your game,” Rashford adds. “But still keep your own style, your own personality on the pitch. They definitely taught me a lot, and in football, I don’t think you ever stop learning. I have a mentality that I want to improve every day. To do that, you have to learn from other players around the world.”

Rashford discovered early on that he would not always be fully fit when crossing the white line. In his early teenage years, as his bones grew, he suffered from Osgood–Schlatter disease, which causes pain and swelling below the knee joint. “I started getting these growing pains when I was 14 or 15 but we had England trials coming up, around the country people were excited and I didn’t wanna miss out,” he recalls. “So I had to manage the pain as best I could, get through the games. Once you do it once, mentally I put myself in a position where I can do it again.”

Last season, as United struggled for creativity with Martial and Pogba injured, Rashford kept making himself available despite suffering a sore back. This term, he has managed a shoulder issue.

He adds: “Of course there are times when you should probably take a step back from it, but to be honest as a professional athlete it’s difficult when you know you can still influence games and help the team win.

“With injuries I just take it a day at a time. Some days it is worse than others, some days it’s not so bad. You have to find stability really, whether it means you can’t train for a day, or when you go home you have to relax and rest, you do whatever it takes to get out on the pitch at the weekend or midweek.”



Rashford is keen to add to his personal trophy haul
It is that kind of approach that influences Rashford’s memories of the first time he captained United’s senior team. It was the Carabao Cup semi-final against City last season, a 3-1 defeat.

“At the time, I was just so angry, I hate losing to City,” he says. “I probably didn’t appreciate the moment as much as I should have. I can’t help that, it’s just the way I am.

“But a few weeks later when you look back, it’s a moment of pride, you’re just very happy that you’ve managed to do such a thing for a club you’ve loved all your life. It’s a great feeling. I have the shirt hung up at home.”

Whenever he might be captain again, Rashford believes leadership should be shared. “Whether you have the band on or not, you have to be a leader. The more players we have as leaders the better the team is — it’s as simple as that. I think we’ve demonstrated it this season when different people have stepped up in different moments.”

The same, it could be said, goes for penalties. Rashford, Martial and Pogba shared responsibilities last season, but Fernandes has possession from 12 yards now.

“Throughout the academy I always took the penalties for my team. If you’re comfortable taking them and confident, more often than not, you’ll score. You have to approach it with that mentality.

“You can take a good penalty and the keeper saves it, or you can take a bad penalty and it goes in. To be fair, I’ve had both! But if you have missed one the previous time you have to put it behind you as soon as possible because a penalty is a great chance for your team to score. It can be the difference in games.

“We’re very easy-going, but the person who has been scoring takes the penalties. Everyone is happy with that. It’s won us games, that’s the main thing. Going forwards, you don’t change something that’s going well.”

The Europa League resumes this month, with United facing Real Sociedad. The anguish of the Champions League exit is, however, still evident in Rashford. He scored his first United hat-trick in the competition with a blistering cameo against RB Leipzig but describes that landmark as “irrelevant really” because United ultimately went out.

“It’s weird speaking about those goals because they don’t stand for anything,” he says. “It’s something that has happened but there is nothing to show for it.

“Going forward it’s something we have to improve on. We have to do well in that competition. I believe we have the squad and the staff.”

Rashford shares a similar determination over his passion for eliminating food poverty among the UK’s children. “I am happy so far but again it is difficult to speak on because we’ve not reached the end goal.

“On the pitch that means winning titles, winning trophies, then off the pitch we’ve not managed to reconstruct the system in the way it works.

“We’ve had an OK start to both things but I’m still working towards more.”

 

Pogba and Donny back in the squad for Milan tomorrow.

Cavani and Martial both out.

Personally would like to see Mason up top with Rashford and Amad. Guessing it will be Rashford at the 9 with Dan James and Mason out wide tho.

 

With Pickford out for the Euros, it looks like 3 of the next 4 in line are United products

Pope, Henderson, Heaton and Johnstone.

 

Injury finally forcing Southgate to select a better keeper. Should be Nick Pope imo. Burnley are nothing without him.

 

538 gives us 50/50 odds to reach the final which is crazy.

 

If I’m reading it correctly it will be TeamViewer from the start of next season this fall?

 

Pretty sure the Chevy deal covered more than just the kits (car sponsor, dugout seats), so maybe that’s what they extended.

 

Granada's SPI is lower than Young Boys and Rangers, and in fact is the lowest of the remaining teams, moving our finals odds to 54%

 

Kudos to Arsenal for keeping West Ham 7 points back. Reasonably estimate if we can win 5/9 remaining EPL games - United qualifies for Champions League.

 

Pretty bad loss imho.

 

I mean trophy wise, yes. Losing to that AC Milan side would have been more acceptable than this loss to a depleted Leicester squad tho imo.