Marcus has scored twice in 11 games this season.
Speak to people who know Marcus and they will agree that he is lacking in confidence.
It comes from the little doubts that have crept into his game over the past couple of seasons, which are not being alleviated by a regular flow of goals.
His performance in the FA Cup was disappointing and had experienced top-level professionals scratching their heads.
"I don't want to single Marcus out because we don't know what's going on with him," said Alan Shearer during Monday's TV coverage on Match of the Day. Everything seems to be a real effort for him. He looks flat.
Dion Dublin said that he looked "disheartened" during the same broadcast. I haven't seen him smile in a while.
His early days as a United first-team player are significant. He scored twice on his debut in theEuropa League against Midtjylland in February 2016 when he was just 18 years old. He made his debut in the league against the Gunners and struck two more.
Since then, he has earned 46 England caps, three major tournaments, and a start to his England career that propelled him to Euro 2016 and the start of an England career that has so far earned him a start to his England career.
His last two full seasons at United have been particularly productive, with 43 goals taking his overall tally for the club to 88.
He missed the start of the season due to shoulder surgery and has not scored in his past 11 appearances. There is no guarantee that he will reach his century this season, as he is nine goals short.
The fans of United are starting to get upset as their team's struggles mirror those of their own.
Confidence issues and doubts are back to basics.
The issue of confidence has become an issue for Rashford. Decision making without a thought is not as easy as it used to be. Over-thinking can be costly in a game of fine margins.
The approach that brought him fame was to run at opponents with his electric pace and take them on.
It seems very simple. Life is more complex.
Guidance and help is required.
When it comes to the 'arm around the shoulder' type of management, ex-players and pundits can sometimes be critical of it.
The world has changed. He is not in need of his ego-massaging. It is felt that he needs reassurance and guidance.
He is the last to do scheduled interviews because he stays out on the training pitch longer, working on his game or doing shooting drills.
The strikers got along well with their former boss. The Norwegian didn't do a lot of coaching, so he didn't get to learn proper predatory instincts from his teammate.
After overcoming his shyness and going to Solskjaer to tell him he was unsure what was being asked of him, Rashford took a deep breath. He said that he was being asked to play many different roles and that his performances had stopped. The man was told to stop moaning.
On an interim basis in early December, Solskjaer was replaced by Ralf Rangnick, who wants to speak with his players every couple of weeks. The German can help him.
With United's squad as a whole, there is uncertainty over the future. In the summer, Rangnick advises on bringing in a permanent replacement for the season.
It is not easy to establish bonds under such conditions.
Each of the last four seasons, he has hit double figures for goals.
Finding his best position.
The most effective position is on the left.
He has been caught up in United's search for a consistent flow to their game, first under Solskjaer and now Rangnick.
When fit, Paul Pogba has tended to occupy the left-sided position, which could be seen as either a player whose heart is not at Old United or the most effective use of a club record signing who can be a liability when it comes to the defensive part of the game.
This meant that Marcus would be used as a centre-forward or wide.
The arrival of a player changed that. The tactics have changed since Rangnick's arrival.
Through all the changes, he has been catching up. He put his foot down in the summer in order to have shoulder surgery that he wanted to have even though Solskjaer had doubts.
He returned to fitness in October at the time when United's campaign began to spin out of control.
After scoring three times in the first seven games of the season, Marcus Rashford lost two of them, including the away loss atWatford that ended Solskjaer's time in charge.
The 4-2-2-2 formation was introduced immediately by Rangnick, which got its width from the full-back areas. The German reverted to a Solskjaer-style 4-2-3-1 against Villa, with the left-sided role being occupied by MarcusRashford.
His performance against Villa was not good. Maybe he should be forgiven for not producing his best because he has played five different positions this season.
Is there an answer to this?
There is a feeling that the situation can be solved quickly.
He wants to start scoring goals again. It has been stressed that there is no issue with his work off the field around underprivileged children, which has not been so important to his life this season.
The opportunity to work with a coach who believes in him would be a benefit to Rashford.
It would be good news for the England man if United recruited Mauricio Pochettino to replace Solskjaer on a permanent basis in the summer.
For now, Rashford will keep on working and hope his form turns.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
