Rashford says Manchester United 'in no man's land'
Marcus Rashford hit out at Manchester United's "reactionary" approach after his departure from Old Trafford.
The forward, who has joined Barcelona on loan for the 2025-2026 season, criticised United’s lack of a consistent strategy during an appearance on The Rest is Football podcast, urging the Red Devils to "make a plan and stick to it".
Rashford, who had fallen out of favour under Ruben Amorim, spent the back half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, where he tallied 17 appearances across all competitions.
The England international scored 89 times for United in the Premier League and registered 42 assists.
"You see it with any team that’s been successful over a period of time: they have principles that any coach that comes in, any player that comes in, has to align to these principles or be able to add to these principles," Rashford said.
"We’re hungry to win, so we’ll always try to adapt and to 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. Yeah, you might win some cup tournaments, but it’s because you do have a good coach and you do have good players and you have match winners in your team – you’re not there by accident. This is what some people forget."
Rashford explained that stepping back over the past six months had given him a clearer perspective on the club’s issues.
"We’ve been way below where we deem United to be. But then if you take a step back… what do you expect?," he said. "People say we’ve been in a transition for years. To be in a transition, you have to start the transition. So, it’s like the actual transition has not started yet.
"To start a transition, you have to make a plan and stick to it. So, this is the thing that I feel – it’s not easy. Because if it’s not going well, the fans demand [change]. But this is where I speak about being realistic with what your situation is.
"I feel like we’ve had that many different managers and different ideas and different strategies in order to win – you end up in no man’s land."
Manchester United kicks off the new Premier League season at home to Arsenal on Monday, while Rashford could make his LaLiga debut when Barcelona face Mallorca a day earlier.
