Marcus Rashford has joined Barcelona on loan
English attacker, Marcus Rashford has disclosed that lack of proper planning and strategy has led to the struggles of Manchester United since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.
He explained that during the era of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, the team thrived because they had proper structures in place where academy players would graduate into the senior team smoothly.
The Three Lions’ forward also noted that the principles of the club were being inculcated into new signings and academy graduates hence the team’s strong mentality that brought many titles.
“A successful team has principles that are consistent. When Fergie [Alex Ferguson] was in charge, not only did the first team have principles, but the whole academy setup did, so you could pick players from 15 years and over – that’s a full generation – and they’d all understand the principles of playing the Manchester United way.
“So you see it with any team that’s been successful over a period of time; they have principles that any coach or player who comes in has to align with or be able to add to,” he said during an interview with Gary Lineker on The Rest is Football podcast.
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Speaking on the recent decline in the Red Devils’ performance, Rashford blamed it on the lack of a consistent project and plan implemented by the club in their bid to achieve success.
He also asserted that the club’s approach to signing players is problematic, thereby negatively affecting their recruitment.
“At times, I feel like United have just been hungry to win, so we’ll always try to adapt and sign players that fit this system. But it’s reactionary. If your direction’s always changing, you can’t expect to be able to win the league.
“You might win some cup tournaments, but it’s because you have a good coach, good players, and match winners in your team. You’re not there by accident. This is what some people forget. We’ve been way below where we deem United to be. People say we’ve been in a transition for years. To be in a transition, you have to start the transition,” he noted.
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Rashford also rejected Manchester United’s approach of sacking managers regularly, citing how Liverpool gave Jurgen Klopp time to build a team and eventually won major laurels.
“When Liverpool went through this, they got Klopp and stuck with him. They didn’t win in the beginning. People only remember his final few years when he was competing with City and winning the biggest trophies. So, to start a transition, you have to make a plan and stick to it,” he added.
Rashford is currently on loan at Spanish giant Barcelona.
🎬 Marcus Rashford talks about Man United. Completely unfiltered. [@RestIsFootball] pic.twitter.com/Wli7wOQiXN
— United & Everything Football (@UEF_Podcast) August 13, 2025
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