Marcus Rashford demand laid down to Man Utd dressing room after return to form

Bacary Sagna has thrown his support behind Marcus Rashford, insisting the Manchester United forward will rediscover his top form but only with the club and dressing room’s backing. After ending a six-month goal drought with a strike in United’s 3-0 win at Southampton and bagging a brace against Barnsley, Rashford is showing signs of returning to his peak.

The England international faced a challenging period last season, netting only eight goals compared to his career-high of 30 the previous year. Sagna, the ex-Arsenal and Manchester City full-back, believes consistent support from United is crucial for Rashford’s resurgence.

“Considering the quality of Marcus Rashford, you need to give him support,” Sagna expressed to Paddy Power. “I’m a fan of his and I rate him as a player, but if Manchester United want to get back to their best, all their players have to perform. I was glad to see him score and hope that it will help him get back to his best, as he was at the start of his career.”

Sagna also touched on the mental aspect of Rashford’s game, acknowledging the impact personal struggles can have on performance: “Mentally, I’m not sure he was in the right place and his mum spoke out about how he was suffering after a close loss. He’s a human being and these things can have an impact on his game.”

The former defender concluded with optimism for Rashford’s future at Old Trafford: “Manchester United have been patient with him hopefully he will get back to his best and have the impact he was having before.”

But Sagna has cast doubt on United’s current form, despite their recent victories, suggesting that Erik ten Hag’s squad needs to step up their game to match the club’s illustrious history.

“Manchester United are one of the greatest teams in Europe, but I’m not sure they are performing at the level they should,” Sagna commented.

“When I think about United, I think about their old players. The mentality was different, the impact on the pitch was different. They have great players at the minute, but they need to be more efficient and win games.”

Sagna also heaped praise on young talent Kobbie Mainoo: “Kobbie Mainoo is one of the best players at his position at the minute. He has what it takes, he’s already very confident at a very young age and he will only get better by playing. He should keep playing as long as he stays injury-free.”