Is Marcus Rashford The Best Player In The World On Current Form?

Another game, another goal for Marcus Rashford as his form continues to propel forward and his name sung among the Manchester United fanbase.

After such a difficult past 12 months under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick – with the Austrian prepared to sell him if he was awarded the full-time job – Rashford has risen from the ashes and become one of the best players in Europe.

30 goal contributions (22 goals, eight assists) in 35 club appearances this season is only four contributions short of his best ever tally during the 2019/20 season. And with over 20 games left to play in all competitions, Rashford is expected to break through that record and end the season with a mass of goals.

Whether he is played through the middle, on the left, or on the right, Rashford continues to impress with his innate ability to find the back of the net. Against Leeds United, when the game was travelling away from the Red Devils for a large portion of it, Rashford stepped up when his team needed him the most and opened the scoring. Manchester United went on to win 2-0 and pick up an important three points.

Rashford’s game is brimming with confidence, which has been aided by the arrival of Erik Ten Hag, but also forwards coach Benni McCarthy. The Dutch manager brought McCarthy in with him during the season and Rashford is yet to look back. After a somber 12 months in which it was evident the England international was in a deep slump, McCarthy and Ten Hag have worked incredibly hard to get Rashford fit and firing once more.

There is a sizeable difference when Rashford is able to express himself on the pitch and has, this season, morphed into the main man for United’s attacking output. Especially with the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ten Hag has clearly shown Rashford the way in becoming the team’s start player and regular producer of goals.

It could have been argued that Rashford was going through a purple patch of form, but with this consistency before and after the World Cup coming to light, it is much more than that. There is rarely a game in which Rashford looks to have dropped his standards or been ineffectual in one way or another. The English forward is absolutely pivotal in everything Manchester United conjure up in the final third.

With Manchester United in a Cup final next weekend against Newcastle United, as well as vying for places in three other competitions, Rashford will be continually tasked with coming up with the goods week in, week out. And so far, he has yet to disappoint. The wide forward has scored eight PremierPINC
League goals in his last nine appearances, plus an assist, which showcases his scintillating form.

There is no reason why Rashford cannot continue on this prolific run and end the season with an eye-watering goals and assists that would solidify his presence among the world elite.

If Manchester United can pick up the EFL Cup and another trophy, as well as finishing strong in the Premier League, there is a credible argument to be made that Rashford could be in the running for the Ballon d’Or, should he keep up this level of return in front of goal.

The most important bit of business that Manchester United will need to conduct in the next few months is tying the left winger down to a new, long-term contract.