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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Omar Garrick

Marcus Rashford's biggest flaw is being exposed in Ralf Rangnick's Manchester United system

If you put yourself through the pain of Manchester United's abysmal 1-1 draw against Newcastle, I can only sympathise.

There was so much wrong with United's performance, right from the get-go. Even allowing for COVID-19 cases and the consequent closure of the Carrington training ground during an enforced 16-day break, it was an unacceptable performance.

Supporters were so confident Ralf Rangnick's team would get the job done because Newcastle have been nothing short of shocking this season.

They sit 19th in the Premier League but an important point in their quest to secure top-flight survival has also landed a huge dent in the Reds' top-four ambitions.

Clearly, there are some massive issues inside the camp and the same mistakes that were being made under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are happening again.

I could name so many poor performers because everyone looked miles off the pace. It's Manchester United - if you can't gear yourselves up for a match, then you shouldn't be at the club.

But perhaps the one player I feel genuinely sorry for, because I adore him, is Marcus Rashford.

There's no doubt that Rashford has been, over the past two years, one of the best performers for United. Scoring more than 20 goals in two consecutive seasons is no easy feat and it demonstrated his considerable qualities.

Rashford was also injured at the start of the season. He had surgery on his left shoulder, which kept him out for two months.

When he returned, he scored four in three games and a great campaign seemed to be on the cards.

However, it just hasn't gone to plan and, since Rangnick's arrival, he's been miles off his best. Against Newcastle he was awful.

A big reason for this is a new tactical system that is exposing Rashford's biggest flaw - his decision-making.

Rashford wasn't at his best against Newcastle (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images) ((Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images))

Out of all the fantastic attributes he has in his locker, one of the biggest criticisms of Rashford has always been his decision-making in the final third.

There have been loads of times where he's played the wrong pass or decided to take a shot on goal from long-range when he could've played another player through.

The problem for Rashford is that his decisions are being exposed in Rangnick's new system because he isn't playing in his best position.

In the 4-2-2-2, there are no wingers, only attacking midfielders. This means that Rashford has found himself partnering Cristiano Ronaldo up front or and playing as the right-sided attacking midfielder.

That's the area of the attack where he's least comfortable and he had a wretched time there against Newcastle.

Rashford is best suited as a left-winger and has always done most of his damage from this position. He is lethal when cutting inside onto his right foot.

He was not able to offer that level of threat against Newcastle and it's hard to see how this changes, unless Rangnick adopts a different formation.

Although United are conceding fewer goals, the new system has also yielded fewer chances over this short period.

In the case of Rashford, he can only hope there'll be a change. First of all, he needs dropping for a match so he can get some rest. He certainly looks like he needs a break from what has been a sapping season for himself and the club.

What did you think of Rashford's performance? Follow our United On My Mind writer Omar Garrick on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below.

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