“Can be a world beater”: Michael Owen says United star is unhappy at Old Trafford | OneFootball

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Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford’s season has hardly gone according to plans. After being overlooked by Barcelona this summer despite an impressive loan campaign, the English forward was handed a lifeline by Michael Carrick.

The English manager had previously worked with Rashford at Old Trafford, and was hoping that he could get the player back to his scintillating best with the Red Devils. However, the 28 year old is yet to display the form that saw him register 30 goals and 12 assists in the 2022/23 campaign.

Rashford has featured in six of United’s seven games so far, and is yet to register a goal or an assist.

Marcus Rashford Stats: 2026/27 Season

Against Fulham at Craven Cottage last Sunday, the player cut a sorry figure once again as his team scrambled to a 1-1 draw. Former United striker Michael Owen has now shared his opinion on Rashford’s struggles this season.

Rashford the weak link in United’s attack

Speaking to Premier League Productions, as cited by Metro, Owen suggested that Rashford is not happy at Old Trafford. He said: “On the left, Marcus Rashford has been probably the quietest of those attackers. He was quiet again today in his body language, just the glum face. He just doesn’t seem to be loving his football which has been a permanent frustration with Marcus.”

“It does look like the weight of the world is on his shoulders and you just think how? Why? He’s living everybody’s dream. Surely there’s something behind the scenes that is making him look as if he’s not enjoying his football at the moment.”

Owen went on to state that Rashford is United’s weak link in attack, adding: “I couldn’t believe his luck in getting a team like Barcelona. He does reasonably well out there, but not well enough for them to keep him and then they end up spending fortunes to replace him by buying Anthony Gordon.”

“So, it wasn’t all perfect. It wasn’t all rosy despite any spin that people put on it. And then he comes back to Manchester United. He’s done okay, but only okay. And he needs to probably do a little bit better in that front three because his is the position in the attack that would be vulnerable.”

“There’s a bit of a demand for Benjamin Sesko to come back in and start, injury permitting of course. But if that happens, Cunha is going to go on the left and Rashford would be the weak link in that attack as things stand.”

Rashford lacks mentality

Owen also argued that Rashford has everything to be one of the best in the world, but lacks the mentality to realise his potential. He continued: “There is nothing that that lad hasn’t got. He is so tall, such a great athlete. His touch and his skill levels are unbelievable. He’s quick.”

“He’s got everything that you would want in a player, and it just shows you if you haven’t got that [mentality], that is the most important thing in football. Not even a question. If you’re mentally strong then you can go far in the game and he has got absolutely everything.”

“When he’s confident when he’s happy and everything then he can be a world beater. But it’s not often he’s got that between his ears ticking. It’s not often that he’s in the right frame of mind.”

“He’s 28 now, he should be in his prime. He should be absolutely tearing defences apart, scoring loads of goals. We’re talking about what records he can break. He has got that ability to do it, and he’s shown it in patches, but just not seeing it on a consistent basis.”

Final Thoughts

Rashford had a very famous fallout with former head coach Ruben Amorim, but has been handed a chance to revive his career at Old Trafford. The Englishman continues to divide opinion among fans as he stands at a threshold in his career, and how he performs next could have a huge bearing on his future.