Marcus Rashford puzzle persists for England as Man Utd outcast now ‘lost’ in Barcelona

Marcus Rashford remains one of the most puzzling conundrums in football but has found a friend in Thomas Tuchel despite running out of them at Manchester United and now Barcelona according to reports

Jeremy joined the Daily Star in 2010 as Manchester football correspondent and for more than a decade has served as our Chief Sports Writer. He provides expert coverage on Manchester United and Manchester City, the Premier League as a whole, and the England football team. Jeremy has covered football, rugby and cricket World Cups, as well as Wimbledon, the golf majors and the Olympics.

Marcus Rashford has found to his cost in recent times how friends can be hard to find in football.

He ran out of them at Manchester United – his hometown club. And even Aston Villa didn’t want him, despite Rashford finding a semblance of his best form again during a spell on loan there in the second half of last season.

The England forward thought this didn’t matter, because it enabled him to secure another loan move, this time to Barcelona. But perhaps he thought wrong. Because it has taken just over a month for the murmurings to start about all not being well in the relationship between Rashford and the Catalan giants.

Reports back in Spain have claimed Barca bosses are even weighing up whether to send the forward back to United. It has been suggested Rashford is going ‘completely unnoticed’ in games, and has been looking ‘shy, imprecise and lost’. Sound familiar?

The mere prospect of Barca ending the loan agreement at a cost of €5m is enough to send a shiver down the spine of United chiefs, not least manager Ruben Amorim. But right on cue, from the cloud of more negativity surrounding one of England’s most high-profile stars, emerged a mate when he needed one.

In the shape of Thomas Tuchel. Not content with picking Rashford in his squad for the latest round of World Cup qualifiers, Tuchel went one better and started him for the visit of Andorra.

Ollie Watkins might have been on the front of the match programme. But it was Rashford headlining England’s attack alongside captain Harry Kane. It felt like an absolute gift from Tuchel.

A start on a ground he was familiar with, against a team which had conceded seven goals in its last three games – and have turned losing into an art form.

Tuchel has made no secret of the fact he is invested in Rashford. He started him in his first game as England manager, against Albania back in March.

And here he was giving Rashford a golden opportunity to boost his chances of being on the plane to the World Cup in North America next summer. Breathing some air into the lungs of a player who has looked winded by life.

Rashford looked up for taking advantage. His first touch saw him put Biel Borra on his backside. His second one nutmegged the same defender, and could have won his side a penalty.

He picked out Reece James with a long, diagonal pass. But when a big moment came before half time, cutting inside and looking to shoot, he chose an ambitious back heel instead which made him look foolish.

It felt like a microcosm of the frustrated footballer he has become. He then ran into a cul-de-sac, beating two opponents but not a third.

Flickers of potential brilliance attempting to emerge from all the mediocrity, but coming to nothing. Then came his defining moment of the game.

A sparkling run from Noni Madeuke ended with the ball falling to Rashford. All he had to do was pick his spot, but he couldn’t even hit the target.

Rashford remains one of the most puzzling conundrums in football. Is he great, or hugely overrated? The statistics show he has had one stand out season, when he scored 34 goals for club and country in 2022/23.

It feels like he has flirted with greatness, but found himself being wedded to frustration instead. He’s promised a lot, but delivered far too little.

Rashford will be 28 in October. He should be a footballer approaching his prime. And if playing for Barcelona ahead of a World Cup year doesn’t get his fires burning, nothing will.

If the jury is still out on Tuchel being the right man to win that World Cup, then it’s well and truly hung when it comes to deciding if Rashford will ever make the most of the talents he’s been given.