Marcus Rashford
Former Premier League midfielder, Jamie Redknapp believes Manchester United should start Marcus Rashford as a central striker against Arsenal as he offers them a ‘different dimension’.
Marcus Rashford
It was against the Gunners that the 19 year old burst onto the Premier League scene in February, as he bagged a brace on his top-flight debut.
He has kicked on from there, becoming a regular in the first-team fold at Old Trafford and a senior England international with five caps to his name.
Rashford has, however, often been asked to occupy a wide attacking role, with other options favoured down the middle.
He could be moved back to his favoured post on Saturday, though, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspended and Wayne Rooney short on form and competitive minutes.
Redknapp feels Rashford’s senior colleagues should be concerned about the impact he could make in a high-profile clash, with it possible that they could soon be the ones shunted around in order to accommodate the talented youngster.
He wrote in a column for Sky Sports: “This was the game where he came to prominence last season, scoring twice in quick succession on his Premier League debut to help United to a 3-2 win at Old Trafford.
“If he can repeat that kind of performance, suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic and captain Wayne Rooney could have a real problem on their hands. This is a massive chance for him to give United a completely different dimension that they’ve been lacking with those two older players in the side.
“There have been times this season when I’ve looked at Rashford and wanted a bit more from him. He’s generally been restricted to a wide role but he’s not been as sharp as he was last year.
“Maybe that’s because he feels he should be starting, rather than being used from the bench. Maybe he feels he should be playing centre forward, rather than out wide. It may be born out of frustration.
“But if he gets his chance tomorrow there will be no excuses. It will just be a great platform for him to go out and show what he can do. He may feel like he needs to prove himself again – but he can put himself right to the top of the pecking order if he plays well on Saturday.”
Rashford has netted four times in 17 appearances for club and country this season, but his last effort came back on September 24 against Leicester.
Saturday would be an ideal time to end that drought, with United looking to kickstart their campaign and move back to within touching distance of the Premier League’s top four.
