Five years ago today, February 25, Manchester United had problems. Injuries to 13 players meant Louis van Gaal’s squad was cut to the bone ahead of a must win last 32 Europa League first-leg match against Danes Midtjylland.
Must win because the Europa League and the FA Cup offered United’s two chances of a trophy in a season where fortunes had badly diminished.
Never in a title race and knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage after losing at Wolfsburg in the final game, United then lost three consecutive league games and speculation about Van Gaal’s future reached fever pitch.
The Dutchman never recovered his stock with fans who were frustrated at the dull, low scoring football which left United hovering around sixth place – only 49 league goals in 38 matches. Sunderland, in 17th, scored 48.
To compound matters, United lost the first leg 2-1 at Midtjylland, a defeat which left fans fuming – and not just because it was freezing or because the hosts charged £71 per match ticket to stand behind a net.
Even before the Danes’ winner, the 900 travelling fans sang ‘Oh what a night: “Freezing cold on a Thursday night ... and we’re playing...” You can guess the rest. The same fans weighed in with a song about how bad their team was to the tune of 'Viva Ronaldo'.
By February, it was United’s worst season in 26 years and Midtjylland came back to Old Trafford on February 25, 2016. United’s full-backs were Joe Riley and Guillermo Varela, both making only their second first team appearances. Michael Carrick had to play in central defence because of a late injury to Chris Smalling.
David de Gea was out, Wayne Rooney, too. Antonio Valencia had an injured foot, Ashley Young a groin issue. Marouanne Fellaini was out with a muscle problem, Bastian Schweinsteiger with a bad knee. Luke Shaw was recovering from a broken leg, while fringe players such as Adnan Januzaj, Matteo Darmian or Cameron Borthwick Jackson were also not fit, ditto Will Keane, a promising young striker.
And, sure as Manchester United are a football club and water is wet, Phil Jones was on the treatment table. Hence the inclusion of unknowns such as Riley and Varela and Regan Poole, while someone called Marcus Rashford, that few had heard of and who had started the season with the youth team, was even being considered.
In Manchester city centre, one of Rashford’s older brothers Dwaine received a text message from the young footballer to tell him that he was travelling with the first team.
Dwaine, who’d always been hugely supportive to his brother like the rest of his family, saw the opponents, knew the injuries and thought: ‘He’s got a chance here’. Rashford’s family had been getting indicators that he was doing really well in training from United’s coaches.
A measure of how rapid his progress had been was that at the start of the 2015-16 season, Rashford wasn’t even tipped to be in United’s second-string under-23 side. Indeed in September 2015, 17-year-old Marcus had been promoted to the under 19 team to play in the Youth League and was the stand out player in a 3-0 win against PSV in Eindhoven.
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Manchester United 3 Newcastle 1: player ratings
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MANCHESTER UNITED RATINGS: David de Gea - 5: Alert at the start for an inadvertent free-kick which tested him, then a deflected shot. Then made a poor clearance. Saved well from Saint Maximin after 35 minutes, before the same player volleyed a deserved equaliser. Reuters -
Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 6: Least involved of the defenders, but worked hard throughout and needed to be on it against the talented Saint-Maximin. Reuters -
Harry Maguire - 6: Lively start – and not always in a positive way. He pushed forwards but then had to recover as Newcastle didn’t sit back like other struggling sides. His cleared header was volleyed in for the Geordie goal. Made far more touches than any other player on the pitch – including an assist. Won six headers.. EPA -
Victor Lindelof - 5: Matched the rapid Almiron for speed as the Geordies pressed early on and rattled a team who’d struggled against others at the wrong end of the table. AFP -
Luke Shaw - 7: United’s best defender once again. In fact, the best player on the pitch once again. Attacking intent, whipped balls in and made runs down the left – even if his teammates didn’t always see them. Reuters -
Fred - 5: Like his team, he started poorly. Not close enough to Saint Maximin when Frenchman scored. Managed a shot on target which is a rarity but, like his team, wasteful in passes. Reuters -
Nemanja Matic - 7: First game since Sheffield United defeat and played close to Fred shielding a four man defence against the 17th place team at home. Better in the second and turned well to pass towards James for United’s second. Almost scored himself late on. AFP -
Daniel James - 7: Rare start after a positive midweek performance. Worked hard in attack as well as defence but came alive after being skinned by Saint Maximin at the start of the second half. Finished well for United’s second as his team were under pressure, the goal giving him more confidence. Energy levels never faltered. Reuters -
Bruno Fernandes - 6: The stats will say a goal and assist, but far from one of his best games. Booked in a poor first half. With so many players out, United were extra reliant on him, but he didn’t get the ball in the positions where he can do damage. Flicked a Shaw header on after 70 as his team livened up and then scored a penalty to make it 3-1 – and ease nerves. Reuters -
Marcus Rashford - 6: Scored 18th goal of the season after 30 mins, cutting in from left, nut-megging Krafth and sneaking the ball in at the near post. And how he – with one in the previous nine league games – and more importantly his team, needed it. It was the best moment of the game and Rashford remains one of the few players who can produce such magic. AFP -
Anthony Martial - 3: He’s not coming close to the levels needed to play for Manchester United. Nice run and shot after 59 – the first and only thing he did of consequence. His stock has never been lower in all his time at Old Trafford, his four league goals a woeful return for a striker in a team who’ve hit 53. First player off and it was no surprise. EPA -
SUBS: Mason Greenwood - (On for Martial 70') 7: Hardly prolific himself this season, but he’s been playing well and looked sharp when he came on again. EPA -
Juan Mata (No live images) - (On for James 88') N/A. Shola Shoretire (above) - (On for Rashford 89') N/A. Newcastle born 17-year-old has been a rising star. Made his debut against his hometown team. AFP -
NEWCASTLE RATINGS: Karl Darlow - 6: The Magpies goalkeeper hadn’t been tested until beaten by Rashford’s shot at his near post after half an hour. Should have done better and he knew it. Left woefully exposed for second goal and sent wrong way by Fernandes for penalty. Good tip over from Maguire header. Reuters -
Emil Krafth - 5: Found Rashford too hot to handle for opening goal and was twice beaten by the United attacker. Swedish right-back will have sore joins in morning after being given the runaround at times. AFP -
Ciaran Clark - 6: A number of important blocks and well-timed challenges from the former Aston Villa centre-half, athough was easily beaten by Martial who saw fierce strike saved in second half. Struggled to deal with Maguire from United corners late on. Reuters -
Jamaal Lascelles - 7: Martial got little change out of the Magpies captain who was a powerful presence at the back. Good effort from the big centre-half. Reuters -
Jamal Lewis - 5: Up against James who was constantly looking to run at the Magpies defence but the left-back handled him well in first half but lost his man completely before winger put United back in front. AP -
Isaac Hayden - 7: Picked out some inch-perfect passes out to left wing in first half when he was also booked after a spat with Fernandes and Fred. A key player sitting in front of defence for Newcastle. Getty -
Jonjo Shelvey - 6: Slipped when putting in early cross after five minutes and resulting up and under almost ended up with Joelinton scoring rare goal, via big deflection. Blazed good chance way over bar from edge of area. Struggles to keep up with pace of Premier League at times. AFP -
Joe Willock - 7: Loan man from Arsenal was neat and tidy in first half, with one fine surging run down left and cross that Newcastle couldn’t capitalise on. And it was another of his crosses that led to Saint-Maximin’s goal. Barely touched Rashford before United player hit deck for second-half penalty. PA -
Miguel Almiron - 7: Newcastle’s brightest spark in first half buzzing round pitch, always looking to run at United’s defence and saw shot from distance just before half-hour mark saved by De Gea. The Paraguayan, like Newcastle generally, disappeared as attacking force as second half wore on. Getty -
Allan Saint-Maximin - 7: Had been kept relatively quiet until 35th minutes when his dipping shot was tipped over by De Gea but made no mistake a minute later when his first-time half-volley flew into roof of net. Drove shot straight at De Gea just after break. Newcastle will need to keep Frenchman fit for what looks set to be tense relegation battle. PA -
Joelinton - 6: Back in starting line-up and started game well enough. Had deflected shot turned over bar by De Gea, produced lovely touch to put Almiron on attack down right and nice lay-off to present Shelvey with chance. Then picked up knock on side and spent rest of first half holding his back and did finally limp off 10 minutes after break. Getty -
SUBS: Ryan Fraser (No live images) – (On for Joelinton 56’) 5: Weak low shot saved by De Gea but little other impact. Jacob Murphy (above) – (On for Saint Maximin 77’) N/A. Flashed one shot well over. Getty -
Dwight Gayle – (On for Almiron 78’) N/A. AFP
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Former United players such as Paddy Crerand and Ruud van Nistelrooy watched in admiration as Rashford scored twice. Van Nistelrooy had no idea that Rashford had been watching videos of him scoring goals in the six-yard area, something which had been causing the youngster frustration, to help him improve.
Rashford was also studying his opponents and then trying to score against them. He was doing so well that, with the injury crisis, he began to appear in Van Gaal’s options for strikers. With a chance of playing in the first team, his brothers wanted to be there.
Dwaine told his boss that he needed to go and watch his brother play football. He didn’t say his name or who for. The boss wasn’t a football fan and reluctantly let him go. He travelled to Old Trafford and met his other brother Dane. They entered the stadium, looked on the pitch to see Marcus with the other United substitutes warming up. He was not there.
Then came a tap on the shoulder from behind in the seats which United give to the players’ families.
“He’s starting,” said a stranger. Anthony Martial’s groin injury in the warm-up meant he would start.
The brothers were excited and Dwaine kept thinking: "Give him a clean shot on goal and he’ll score".
Rashford did not looked overawed. He cut in from the left after 15 minutes, forcing the first save of the game from Mikkel Andersen, but Midtjylland didn’t follow the script. The Danes scored with their first shot on goal, making the aggregate score 3-1 in their favour. The 58,609 crowd groaned. They’d had enough of Van Gaal.
At half-time it was 1-1 and United needed to score otherwise they were facing their biggest European humiliation since Russian side Rotor Volgograd eliminated them from the Uefa Cup in 1995.
Everything changed in the second half when Rashford, who was born 16 months before Midtjylland were formed in 1999, scored after 12 second-half minutes in front of the Stretford End. His debut first team goal came when he took advantage of awful defending to smash the ball into an empty net. Rashford dived into fans to celebrate – then spent a few minutes having a physio mop up a bleeding head wound. United were level in the tie.
After 75 minutes, Rashford ran on to a cross from Varela on the right and side-footed the ball for United’s third of the night. It was Roy of the Rovers stuff, two goals on your Manchester United debut in front of the Stretford End.
In the stands, his brothers went crazy. Mother Melanie couldn’t be there as she had to look after her nephews. The family had no indication that Marcus was even figuring until the afternoon of the game, none that he was starting until minutes before.
United now led 4-3 on aggregate before an Ander Herrera penalty and a strike from Memphis Depay, the game’s best player with Rashford, made it 5-1 and 6-3 on aggregate. The reward was a place in the last 16 and a draw against Liverpool.
“I wasn’t worried about him. I’m always confident for that,” claimed Van Gaal afterwards. “He was the best option.”
Rashford’s older brothers didn’t know what to do after the game or where to wait. The families of regular players had their routines. Many had private boxes and the players would make their way up to them or the families go down to the tunnel area to wait after the game. Rashford’s family knew none of this. So they went home.
“A dream debut, amazing feeling to score twice and contribute to the team,” tweeted Rashford. “Onto the next round.”
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A few months later, this writer met Rashford in Beijing after a pre-season game and did a short interview. At the end, he answered some quick-fire questions:
Favourite food Chicken and rice, made by my mum. I'd eat it every day if she made it every day.
Favourite music R&B, plus hip hop. I like Drake, Chris Brown.
Favourite film Fast and Furious.
Best away fans The 3,000 Manchester United fans who go to almost every away game.
Team supported as a youngster Manchester United. I'm a Manchester lad.
Best subject at school Maths.
Worst subject Science.
What frightens you? Nothing.
Favourite sports star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Worst moment in football Being knocked out of the Europa League by Liverpool last season.
Best moment in football My Manchester United debut.
And how had he celebrated that debut when he got home? He’d gone straight to his room. He was happy but there was no celebration. He wanted more and was ready to go again. Besides, he had school in the morning.
