John Obi Mikel backs Marcus Rashford to find form

By Monsurah Olatunji 

Former Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi has urged Manchester United not to give up on Marcus Rashford, who he believes still has much to offer.

The 26-year-old has been on the receiving end of criticism following his poor form from last season into this campaign. Rashford enjoyed the best goalscoring season of his career in 2022/23 as Erik ten Hag’s side finished third in the Premier League and won the EFL Cup.

However, his form tailed off last season as he only scored seven goals in 33 appearances and he has yet to score in three outings this term.

He was one of the high-profile absentees from England’s EUro 2024 squad, along with Manchester City star Jack Grealish. However, while Grealish has earned a recall from interim boss Carsley for September’s internationals, the United man has had no such luck.

Speaking on his ObiOne Podcast, Mikel believes Rashford’s confidence has taken a hit and suggests that there should be a conscious effort from the club to help him get back to his best. 

“It’s a tough one to say, but before he signed a new contract, he was on fire, the Rashford we all knew, the one that burst onto the scene, but he signed the deal and it all went down,” the ex-Chelsea star said. 

“Nobody can put a finger on what’s wrong with him, but he’s done a lot off the pitch, with the kids and where he came from, and all that is fantastic, but you have to do your job as a footballer.

“Is it a confidence issue? I don’t know. Things are just not working for him. We don’t know if it’s an injury or something, but we need to know what’s wrong; maybe a discussion should be had at the club.

“I think there’s a lot Marcus can still offer to Manchester United. I think it’s not time to say goodbye yet. Maybe it’s a tactical thing or a training thing, or is it him, It’s all needed to be done. It’s been going on for a while, but I think he can Manchester United get back to where they need to be.”

Marcus Rashford was linked with a summer move, only to stay at Old Trafford.