The last time Marcus Rashford kicked a ball in competitive football, it rebounded back off the post and perhaps altered the destination of Euro 2020. The last appearance he made was at right-back, albeit an auxiliary one, brought on for a penalty shootout in which he missed.
Three months after the Euro 2020 final, following shoulder surgery, the new recipient of an honorary degree from the University of Manchester and a scorer of two goals in a behind-closed-doors friendly last week could make a comeback at Leicester City on Saturday.
Thus far, Rashford’s 2021 has illustrated his wider importance as a campaigner, a cultural force and a voice for the underprivileged. It was depressingly predictable that a symbolic figure was racially abused, along with Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, after England’s Wembley heartbreak; that Rashford’s was inches from being a perfect penalty scarcely factors into such considerations.
But it encapsulated how his year has been frustrating on the field. It has brought a mere eight goals in 38 games. Rashford revealed he had been playing through the pain barrier since last September, but it became harder as his shoulder got worse. It was why he was limited to five cameos and 85 minutes in Euro 2020, held in reserve as a specialist penalty taker by Gareth Southgate.
The last game Rashford completed was in May; his summer was bookended by penalty shootout defeats. There were marked differences with Manchester United’s Europa League final loss to Villarreal. Rashford started and stayed on, presumably with penalties in mind as he struggled. He converted his spot kick, but in vain.
His night in Gdansk was notable for the raw emotion displayed in his post-match interview, dismissing finishing as runners-up as being “losers” and talking of the sacrifice required to win trophies.
Rashford showed a self-sacrificial streak as injury hurt. He nevertheless made 64 appearances last season. He should have had surgery in the summer but instead joined up with England, though now he seems to have been overtaken by a host of newer figures.
Recency bias can mean his earlier feats are obscured but it is worth scrolling back a year to remember how good he was when he could play relatively unimpeded. He began last season with a run of seven goals in nine United games, including a winner away at Paris Saint-Germain and a Champions League hat-trick against RB Leipzig.
Manchester United 1 Everton 1: player ratings
-
MANCHESTER UNITED RATINGS: David De Gea - 7: In form and it stayed that way. Got low to save from Gray after half an hour. Left exposed for the Everton equaliser by another counter-attack. Correctly appealed for off side immediately before Everton put the ball in his net a second time. AFP -
Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 7: Got forward from the start and beautiful cross to Martial after five minutes. Block from a Doucoure shot on 35. Heavily involved in first half. Desperate attempt to get back to stop Townsend’s equaliser and gave possession away on 80 with a poor ball. Reuters -
Victor Lindelof - 5: Blocked a Rondon shot after 20 minutes but while Everton didn’t create like Villarreal, he was busy. Went for the same man as Shaw in the attack which led to Everton’s equaliser. AP -
Raphael Varane - 6: Key block from a Rondon shot after 10 minutes; top defender who probably didn’t anticipate walking into a stumbling side, but he was surprisingly nowhere for the goal. AP -
Luke Shaw - 7: Back and really got stuck in on a day when United didn’t always match Everton physically. Strong tackle on Godfrey floored him, but won fairly Far more touches (113) than any other player on the pitch. Getty -
Fred - 6: Smart cross to Cavani after 20 minutes that should have been an assist. Played well in an energetic first half and got better in the second … until he was muscled off the ball by the excellent Gray before Everton’s equaliser. Twice. Didn’t look good and was brought off. EPA -
Scott McTominay - 6: Got forward, got stuck in and fine in possession – and United had most of that in the first half, but nowhere for Everton’s goal. AP -
Bruno Fernandes - 6: Passing off beam at first but set up Martial for the opener with a fantastic touch. That was his 50th direct involvement in a goal in only 58 games. His poor corner led to Everton’s counter attack and equaliser. Reuters -
Mason Greenwood - 7: Lively start and put a ball across the Everton goal in first 10 minutes. Weak shot on target after 25. First booking of season for bringing down Gordon. Shot easily saved by Pickford just after break. Lovely run at the Everton defence just before the hour. Needs to get back scoring after three goals in his first three. PA -
Anthony Martial - 7: Surprise start. Rose to meet a Bissaka header after five minutes but couldn’t get it on target. Needed a breakthrough after poor form, but got it when he swept in the opening goal after 42 for his first goal in 17 games. Rolled a ball into Everton possession as a 50th minute attack broke down. Got on the ball a lot. Cheered off pitch. Reuters -
Edinson Cavani - 6: First league start of season. Could’ve done better with a header from a 20th minute Fred cross and should have scored, though it was well saved. Worked hard. Applauded off when replaced by Ronaldo. AFP -
SUBS: Jadon Sancho – (On for Martial 57’): Played on the left side. Straight into an attack with fellow substitute Ronaldo. Bright. Ran at goal and set up attempts for Ronaldo and Pogba. Most encouraging stint in red. Weak effort on target in last minute of normal time. AP -
Cristiano Ronaldo – (On for Cavani 57’) 6: Surprise to see him start on the bench. Came on to a multitude of songs. Shot wide after 74 minutes. Getty -
Paul Pogba – (On for Fred 70’) 7: Curled one shot wide and United looked better with him in the side. Reuters -
EVERTON RATINGS: Jordan Pickford - 7: Great stop to deny Cavani scoring close-range header that bounced right in front of England goalkeeper after 20 minutes. Beaten by combination of good finish and slight deflection for Martial goal. Getty -
Ben Godfrey - 6: Had Shaw and Martial coming down his right flank and had been coping well right up until just before half-time when the Frenchman was allowed far too much space to fire home. Then had to deal with Sancho’s pace after break in testing day for young defender. Getty -
Michael Keane - 7: Former United player nearly scored against old club with glancing header after quarter-of-an-hour. Relief minutes later when he lost Cavani on box only for Pickford to save Uruguayan’s header. Excellent at heart of Everton defence. AP -
Yerry Mina - 7: Right in middle of large exchange of handbags in first half after McTominay tried to drag Digne up off the floor after Everton captain went down under challenge. Thought he’d won it with finish from Davies pass late on but had been caught offside. AFP -
Lucas Digne - 6: Everton captain was skinned by Wan-Bissaka in first 10 minutes and struggled to contain a lively Greenwood at times in first half. One galloping run followed by dangerous cross into United box at start of second. EPA -
Allan - 8: One superb, crunching first-half challenge to win back possession and set team off on attack. The Brazilian has some engine on him and never gives opponents chance to settle on ball when he’s around. Reuters -
Abdoulaye Doucoure - 8: A formidable presence in midfield this season. Lovely run and exchange of passes to set-up chance for Rondon. Thought he was going to score only to be denied by Wan-Bissaka block after 35 minutes. Another good run and simple ball to set up Townsend goal. Booked for foul on Fernandes. Getty -
Andros Townsend - 7: Watched Martial miss early header when he should have been challenging and then incurred wrath of Pickford after Greenwood skipped past him too easily. At his preferred end of pitch, produced lethal low finish into corner to level scores. Getty -
Anthony Gordon - 7: Highly-rated 20-year-old eased past Lindelof and almost picked out Rondon and Townsend with low cross. Had to curtail attacking instincts to provide support for Digne down left. Running on empty by time of substitution with 20 minutes to go. Getty -
Demarai Gray - 8: Fantastic turn of pace to leave two United players in his wake before firing off low shot that forced fine first-half save from De Gea. Side-footed a weak finish wide of target after being given nudge by Lindelof just as he lined-up to shoot. Started brilliant Everton counter-attack for Townsend goal. PA -
Solomon Rondon - 6: Slow footwork and finish when put through 10 minutes in that suggested he is not match fit. Had another shot blocked by Lindelof after being teed-off up by Doucoure. Getty -
SUBS: Tom Davies – (On for Gordon 72’): 6 Played ball through for Mina for goal disallowed for offside when, arguably, he could of took chance on himself. Reuters -
Lewis Dobbin – (On for Gray 90+4’’) N/A. Reuters
He had scored a career-best 22 goals the previous campaign. He was a poster boy for United’s revitalisation under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the young, quick, exciting, local boy who struck in many of the Norwegian’s flagship wins.
The United Rashford returns to differs from the side he left. Everything has been reshaped by Cristiano Ronaldo rejoining, especially the forward line. The competition for places has increased. Solskjaer prospered by moving Rashford to the left in 2019-20. Now, with Ronaldo the preferred striker, Anthony Martial struck from the left against Everton. Paul Pogba has a host of assists when operating there. Jadon Sancho has spent much of his brief United career there.
Rashford has pronounced he is in “a better place physically and mentally” but his position appears under threat. Yet United’s defining matches in the next month – against Leicester, Atalanta, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester City – could call for his capacity to flourish on the major stages. And, given United’s recent travails, for the attitude he showed in disappointment in Gdansk.
“The club, the desire, the hunger, the talent, the ability, the squad … we have everything to compete at the highest level,” he said then. “We just have to show it to the world and show it to ourselves.” It is still truer now than it was then.
