This got a chuckle out of me this morning:
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Had a conversation Friday with some who turned out to be a ManU fan, lamenting how Rashford had been so good once, but just stopped doing anything. He was genuinely shocked when I said Rashford should have left 5 years ago, probably more and he had ruined his career by staying with ManU.
Genuinely appeared never to have thought of it from the player point of view, being asked to play in a hodge-podge of tactics, formations and roles, usually with no apparent thought given to the suitability of personnel to perform them. At 21, he was a quick winger who could cut in and score. That really is not a bad foundation to develop from, but he just never did.
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One Fergieās beliefs was that to maintaining a winning mentality throughout the side it was critical to delay treating players like stars until they had earned it in the first team. They made a conscious decision to not upgrade facilities at the academy because they didnt want the kids to experience the luxery of great facilities until theyād earned it, fearing doing so would diminish their drive during critical developmental years. Even at the first team level I was once able to go into the changing rooms the day of a game during Schmeichelās first season and I saw that he was given only a make shift locker set apart from the formal ones, and the point was he hadnt earned a real locker yet.
Yet for Rashford, they made him one of the clubsās highest earners at 21 because of a good half season under Ole, after having spent pretty much the entirity of the previous 3 years in the first team facing questions over his fit in the side (under Jose) and whether he could live up to his potential at Utd.
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I noticed this video, posted by my local MP in Scotland whose constituency now covers the town of Grangemouth. That refinery there is owned by INEOS and Jim Rattcliffe and they are currently closing it down and converting the site into an import depot for foreign fuel.
It had been suggested that the site could be converted to produce sustainable aviation fuel with the aid of a government grant. That is not forthcoming, but Leishman makes a valid point of why they should then assist Ratcliffe with the redevelopment of Old Trafford.
Iām not sure that it entirely belongs here, but Manchester Unitedās owners have been bleeding their asset dry for years. Surely it isnāt up to the UK taxpayer to fix their neglect?
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I think the only reason (or at least the main reason) it is happening is because it is part of a wider redevelopment of that part of Manchester isnāt it?
I believe thatās the case (and Iām not sure what the Belgium investment is) but it is a fair point that government money is being poured into one of his interests whilst the other community is being devestated.
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The Belgium one was signed off by the last government. Really baffling one that to be honest considering there seems to be very little benefit to the UK from it.
Of course like most of these things itās very difficult to now remove those contracts and funding.
I do agree though in general this shouldnāt be funded. However it does create more capacity on a rail network then again itās also needed on the north side of where HS2 was.
Hes never been a proflic goalscorer his best 2 goal scoring seasons he has 17 league goals he only gets into double firgures twice more with 10 and 11 goals.
Hey, he scored 30 goals in a season once!!!
His scoring is probably the most marked area of his failure to develop. He has never really added anything else to his basic move - touch right with the outside of his right boot, drive diagonally toward the box, and shoot. It was never as good as Coutinhoās version of it, and he is more of a one-trick pony with it. A better run club and/or one with solid veteran leadership could have used that as a foundation, just never happened. Obviously, he has to bear some responsibility for that too, but giving him that monster contract at that age and then no coaching support got him most of the way toward stagnation.
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Not league goals i donāt count stat padding in EFL cup as goals
Not that I agree nor disagree, Iām just adding what the common defence of him is.
Rashfordās numbers are/were pretty good in my opinion, considering the position heās mostly played, the fact that he came through as a young player and the general unsucessful period for United during almost the entirity of that time. Okay, as it turned out, he became a key player and key players highly influence a team that is successful or not. But thereās been a lack of consistency, more than anything. Perhaps also not adding more layers to his game. Heās a very dangerous offensive player when in form, though not the most rounded in terms of skills. Iām not sure if he ever managed to put two top seasons together. Or sometimes keep it up for one entire season.
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I think Man Utd is very toxic anyhow and I donāt think the new manager has done much to help that.
Letās see what happens with him out of that. He may continue being shit or he may find some form.
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Another P45 for a tea lady
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Nothing to see here. Just plain ol costcutting.
Also. Countdown for United fans to be overjoyed when Ratcliffe does sell his stakeā¦back to the Glazers
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The Glazers will end up selling the whole lot, including Sir Jimās stake, to someone in the Middle East. Sheikh Jassim was very close, but Sir Jim was a useful idiot for the Glazerās. They are very greedy indeed, and will want a new owner to build a stadium, clear the debts, and give them north of 6 Billion for their trouble, arguably much more. I think thatās the end game. I just canāt see how Sir Jim factors into it, in terms of whole ownership.
Probably a positive that he gets that infrastructure deal.