Marcus Rashford has been heavily criticised for his poor form and he firmly believes it’s personal and he’s now being ‘bullied’.
Marcus Rashford is reportedly feeling unfairly targeted by former Manchester United players whom he perceives as “bullying” him, viewing the recent criticism as excessively harsh.
At 26, Rashford has endured a difficult start to the season after a disappointing 2023/24 campaign. Last year, he managed just eight goals across all competitions, a significant drop from his impressive 30-goal tally in the 2022/23 season. This decline led to his exclusion from England’s Euro 2024 squad, which finished as runners-up to Spain.
United fans had hoped that the summer break would allow Rashford to find his form, but he has yet to score in the opening three Premier League matches of the new season. He has come under fire from former United players such as Gary Neville and Roy Keane.
A close source to Rashford revealed that he feels he is being unfairly targeted compared to his teammates. The source told the i that while other players’ mistakes often go unnoticed, Rashford’s errors are subject to excessive criticism. “It feels like an aggressive campaign against him, almost bullying. Negative remarks from former players only fuel the situation,” the source said. They also pointed out that despite United’s £100 million investment in central strikers, Rashford has been deployed on the wing and is fulfilling his role, with missed chances not being entirely his fault.
These issues could pose an unwelcome distraction for United manager Erik ten Hag ahead of Saturday’s clash with Southampton. The Red Devils are currently 14th in the Premier League, having lost two of their first three games, including a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool before the international break. Ten Hag will be hoping Rashford can break his scoring drought against Southampton, who are second-bottom in the table and have lost all three of their matches since returning to the top flight, conceding five goals in the process.
