Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have both given their views on the Marcus Rashford saga, after the Manchester United star was dropped by Ruben Amorim for Sunday’s derby against City.
The forward became a Red Devils icon after rising up through the youth ranks in 2016 before reaching double figures of league goals in three consecutive seasons and gaining plaudits off the field with his charity work.
The United man has struggled of late, however, scoring just four times in 15 Premier League appearances this campaign, assisting once, as the side have slumped into the lower half of the table.
Things came to a head last weekend when Rashford was surprisingly left out of the squad for the Manchester derby by the new manager, leading to suggestions that he might be on his way out.
And on Tuesday, he conducted a candid interview with Henry Winter where he revealed that it was a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ regarding his departure from Old Trafford.
Now Lineker and Shearer, who are colleagues on the BBC’s Match of the Day, have weighed in on the situation, in an interview with Sky Sports.
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have spoken out about Marcus Rashford being dropped
Lineker suggested that the Englishman’s woes were partly down to the club’s own struggles
Shearer argued that Amorim had to ‘protect his asset’ ahead of reaching a deal with the player
Lineker, who will be stepping down as host of Match of the Day at the end of the season, suggested that Rashford had fallen below expectations over the last year and a half but it was not his fault.
He said: ‘I hope he’s okay, first and foremost, I think that’s important because we don’t really understand the circumstances of footballers sometimes and it’s easy to have a pine on people and have opinions.
‘But obviously his form has been troubled and he’s not been as special as he can be in the last 18 months or so.
‘I think United have struggled for some time and I think sometimes we judge the players when things are not going well on the pitch.
‘It makes it more difficult for people to shine and they’ve gone through a particularly tough spell United over the last couple of years, with the exception of winning the FA Cup.’
Shearer, who is the all-time Premier League’s top scorer with 260 goals, tried to look at things from Amorim’s perspective.
‘[Rashford]’s made his intentions clear,’ he said. Whether the club knew about that or not, they probably didn’t. Then the manager comes out and has his say in the press conference.
‘He’s got an asset to protect at the football club so they will be looking to get the best fee possible. He can’t come out and say too much against him or what he’s said so I guess they’ll come to an agreement and work out what’s best for both parties.
The forward revealed to Henry Winter that it was a case of ‘when’ not ‘if’ he leaves United
Alejandro Garnacho (left) and Rashford (middle) were both left out in win against Man City
Shearer tried to get into Amorim’s head and said the Portuguese cannot have ‘passengers’
‘You’ve got to understand it from a manager’s point of view. He’s come to a team, he’s been hired to find a format in a successful way so he’s got to look at different options and he’s chosen to leave him out and they’ve won the game which is ultimately the best answer for the manager.
‘He can say [his views] to the players and the players can understand where he wants to go with the football club, [with] the size of the club he can’t afford to carry any passengers.’
Rashford, along with the talented academy product Alejandro Garnacho, was left out of Amorim’s lineup for the Manchester derby much to the shock of football fans across the country.
In the end the Portuguese was vindicated as United produced a stunning comeback victory in the final moments to defeat City 2-1 to make it eight defeats in 11 games for their local rivals.
Amad Diallo won a penalty, which captain Bruno Fernades duly dispatched, before scoring a superb goal in the dying seconds to shock struggling City.
On Monday, hometown boy Rashford, who has been at the club for two decades and scored 143 goals, was sent home sick from training. Club policy is that those who are unwell should attend Carrington where they will be assessed by a doctor.
Rashford was deemed to have a high temperature and left the complex. However, the following day he was at his old primary school, where he handed out 420 presents – and dropped a bombshell story.
The forward, who scored 30 goals in the 2022-23 season but who has just four Premier League strikes so far this campaign, poured out his soul to former Times journalist Winter.
The forward, who has been at United since the age of seven, made the bombshell admission during a visit to his old primary school, where he handed out 420 presents to children
Amad Diallo won a penalty and scored a late winner against Man City in Sunday’s derby
Within a 1,021-word tweet on the exchange, Rashford said: ‘For me, personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps.
‘When I leave it’s going to be “no hard feelings”. You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me as a person.
‘If I know that a situation is already bad I’m not going to make it worse. I’ve seen how other players have left in the past and I don’t want to be that person. When I leave I’ll make a statement and it will be from me.’
When asked if he would always be a Red at heart, Rashford – who has been at the club from the age of seven and who made his debut in 2016 – replied: ‘Yes! 100%. 100%.’
