MU hurt themselves because of Rashford

Rashford integrated very quickly at Barca.

Marcus Rashford is rewriting his story in Spain. At Balaidos in the early morning of November 10, he became the inspiration to help Barcelona beat Celta Vigo 4-2 in round 12, in a match full of speed, technique and emotion.

Rashford is different now

Two assists, two goal starts. Rashford not only played well, he also showed the spirit that Manchester United fans once loved. The performance was a reminder to Old Trafford: they once had a player with the appearance of a leader, but he found his identity elsewhere.

Barca opened the scoring early thanks to a Robert Lewandowski penalty. Celta equalised, then fell behind again when Rashford sent in a cross for Lewandowski to head home. Celta rallied for a second goal, but just before half-time, Rashford again unsettled the opposition defence. His pinpoint pass set up Lamine Yamal to score, giving Barca a 3-2 lead.

Barca were in complete control in the second half, Lewandowski completing his hat-trick to seal their biggest win in three weeks. With Real Madrid held to a draw by Rayo Vallecano, Hansi Flick's side reduced the gap to three points.

On the pitch, Rashford smiled lightly at his teammates after his second assist. A far cry from the heavy, frustrated look he had shown in Manchester. After the match, the English striker briefly wrote on Instagram: “Three valuable points away from home. The team continues to work hard.” The post received nearly half a million likes, including Bruno Fernandes and David De Gea, two former teammates.

Rashford has been continuously scoring and creating goals recently.

The words are simple but contain a lot of meaning. Rashford does not talk about himself, he talks about the "team". At Barca, he rediscovered the collective spirit of Manchester United that had been lost for a long time. Hansi Flick did not hide his joy: "I like what I saw today. We controlled the ball well, defended more solidly. The second half gave us more confidence for the road ahead."

Rashford fits into that style of play naturally. He is not the central star, but the sacrificial piece. No longer is Rashford demanding the ball, then getting angry when he is not passed to. At Barca, he runs more, defends more aggressively and is willing to let his teammates shine. It is a change that has surprised even Manchester United fans.

In fact, Rashford was self-critical a few weeks ago. Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, he said: “I’m not satisfied with my performance. I can play better. I work every day to improve.” A simple promise, but now he keeps it with actions.

MU will regret Rashford

Barca have the option to buy Rashford outright at the end of the season. If they activate this clause, Man United could lose a star when they need him most, and also lose tens of millions of pounds compared to the player's real value.

Rashford is now 28, no longer in the “apprenticeship” stage. He is more mature, knows his limits. The way Rashford connects with Lewandowski and Yamal shows that his footballing instincts have not been lost, just stifled in the wrong environment. At Barcelona, he plays in a forward-oriented team where Hansi Flick demands speed, discipline and intelligent movement, three things Rashford has shown best when trusted.

Barca have a clause to buy Rashford.

This story has become a mirror for Manchester United. While Rashford is shining in La Liga, Old Trafford has not found stability. Ruben Amorim's team is still struggling. Manchester United has criticized Rashford's attitude, but clearly, the problem is not only with him. When the environment no longer has faith, any talented individual can easily decline.

Barca saw that. Flick wasn’t trying to change Rashford. He was just asking him to be his best self. A quick, decisive player who could tear apart defences with his sprint. The result was two assists, plenty of pressure and a slight smile, something he hadn’t seen in England for a long time.

United once had high hopes for Rashford. Now, they can only watch him from afar, amid social media posts and applause at Camp Nou. Perhaps what United fans regret most is not the missed goals, but the feeling that a player born in Manchester is happy in another shirt.

And if Barcelona activate the buyout clause, it will be more than just a transfer. It will be the end of a beautiful relationship that has been linked with hope, faith and disappointment.

Manchester United let Rashford go to “find himself”. Now he has. Only that light is shining from Catalonia, where those who doubted Rashford now call him “Marcus el Magnífico” (Marcus the Magnificent).

Source: https://znews.vn/mu-tu-lam-dau-minh-vi-rashford-post1601627.html