Just when it looked like Manchester United were finally embarking on a decent run of form, they run into Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City juggernaut.
City came away from Old Trafford with a resounding 3-0 win that piles the pressure on Erik ten Hag and the Red Devils have never looked so poor.
It is a stark contrast to their solid debut campaign under the Dutchman, where they won a trophy and qualified for the Champions League, yet there have been too many players who have failed to really kick on and assert their dominance from 2022/23.
Marcus Rashford is a key example, as the Englishman has been a shadow of his former self recently and was practically non-existent during the Manchester derby.
Marcus Rashford's game in numbers
Rashford was deployed in his usual position on the left wing yet he once again failed to have the required impact that Ten Hag needed in a game of this magnitude.
The £300k-per-week gem was on the pitch for 86 minutes, but he completed just 11 passes and took only 28 touches, looking completely isolated.
The winger also failed to have a single shot on target, missed a big chance while succeeding with just one of his five dribble attempts, and performances like these simply can’t be tolerated anymore.
What made matters worse is that his display against the Citizens was so poor that even Andre Onana had more influence in possession of the ball, completing 32 passes and registering 55 touches, 27 more than the aforementioned Englishman, as per Sofascore.
If the Old Trafford side wish to challenge for the top honours, being reliant on someone like Rashford, who is very much Jekyll and Hyde this season, is a recipe for disaster.
Marcus Rashford's season in numbers
During the 2022/23 campaign, the 25-year-old registered a mammoth 41 goal contributions – 30 goals and 11 assists – across 56 matches, and it finally looked as though he had a manager who could bring out the best in him.
This has proven to be a false dawn, however, as his goal contributions have dried up altogether, with the player managing to score just once while grabbing three assists during the current season; dismal form indeed.
Journalist Jonas Adnan Giæver described Rashford as “misfiring” recently due to his lack of threat in the opposition penalty area and this is a big cause of concern for the Dutchman.
Perhaps a spell out of the team would be a wise move, allowing someone like Alejandro Garnacho to come in and stake his claim for a regular slot in the starting XI.
Indeed, the young Argentinian has scored the same amount of goals as Rashford during the current campaign and given Ten Hag needs a greater attacking threat, the 19-year-old could take advantage of the situation.
The display against City was lethargic, insipid and downright woeful, yet unless Ten Hag makes the big calls and takes chances on talented youngsters, nothing will change and Rashford will continue to look isolated on the left wing.