Marcus Rashford has been described as ‘part of the problem’ at Manchester United after making the excuse that he had been operating in an ‘inconsistent environment for a very long time’.
Rashford spoke out about his resurgence at Barcelona this week, and his 15-word jibe at the club revealed a lot about how he feels now after leaving Old Trafford.
Last month, Paul Scholes made headlines by calling Rashford a “disgrace” for his behavior in his final months at the club before being loaned to Aston Villa in January last year.
Keane did not talk as much about Rashford as Scholes did during England’s World Cup qualifier against Latvia on ITV, but said he did not absolve Rashford of responsibility for making United a poor environment for players.
I have to say that Keene probably has a point. Rashford may claim that the chicken came before the egg, but he was clearly ticking off a move from Manchester United long before he actually left.
Keane said: “Towards the end of his time at United, there were obviously problems. He was part of the problem with the environment, especially as he was one of United’s most experienced players.”
“He should have set the standard and shown new people at the club what a United player is like. But that’s well documented.
“What we have to focus on is that he got this chance to represent England and he deserved it.
“There’s no doubt about his talent. He’s obviously great. But what frustrates the fans is his body language. He wasn’t running to the back, he wasn’t pressing properly.”
“It’s something he needs to sort out and if he can do that, there’s no reason he can’t be a world-class player.
“I think he was late for one or two meetings after a night out in Belfast or something.
“If you are part of the environment and you are causing problems for the club by being late or not being a top professional, then you are part of the problem and you are not helping the environment.
“He needs to develop a little bit more. He’s 27 years old, so he has plenty of time and I’m not going to give him another chance.”
In contrast to Scholes, who bitterly said he was struggling to feel happy for the former United trainee in his new life in Spain, Keane is at least mature enough to wish Rashford well.
The next question for Rashford is whether he can remain on the fringes of the England squad. One of the players who made the most impression in Rashford’s left flank role against Latvia was Anthony Gordon.
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