Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley has slammed Manchester United's Marcus Rashford for his social media activity following the Red Devils' win over Manchester City on Sunday, December 15. The Red Devils got the better of their bitter rivals by a 2-1 scoreline, thanks to goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo.
Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho were not included in the matchday squad by Ruben Amorim, a move that raised quite a few eyebrows. The Englishman later took to social media to congratulate his teammates on the win.
However, speaking on ESPN FC, Burley slammed Rashford for his social media activity, suggesting that the player has an attitude issue.
“I wouldn’t be batting an eyelid if Marcus Rashford isn’t part of the Manchester United starting XI. The fact that he’s not in the squad, when he could change a game off the bench, raises the question about it being something other than form. [Amorim] touched on it there, the lifestyle and all the other stuff that goes with it," said Burley.
He continued:
"So clearly, at the very bare minimum, there is an attitude issue. And for Marcus Rashford to be posting on Instagram when his colleagues are out there grafting to get a victory [is a shame]. He’s not there because allegedly his attitude among other things is not good enough."
Burley also added that Rashford may have lost his head after securing an improved contract from Manchester United in the summer of 2023.
“It’s frankly a joke. He shouldn’t be anywhere near social media. He should be keeping his head down, embarrassed by the fact that he’s not there at the Etihad to help," said Burley.
He added:
"One of the worst things that happened to Man United in the last two to three years was Marcus Rashford coming out of the doldrums and have this magnificent season, which forced Manchester United to give him a big contract. They had to give it to him at that point. But in hindsight, it now looks like he is in easy street."
Burley went on to state that Rasford was an embarrassment to himself and the Red Devils.
“Rashford is an England international, he’s a star, a headline maker, a match-winner. He’s capable of getting 25-30 goals a season. I’ve played against some of the best players to have played for Manchester United and whenever they got new contracts, they pushed to get even better," said Burley.
He concluded:
"But Rashford, you should be embarrassed about being shovelled out of the squad by the new manager. If I were him, I would keep my head down, be first to training tomorrow morning. He’s an utter embarrassment to himself and his football club.”
Recent reports from the Daily Mail have suggested that Manchester United are willing to offload Rashford for £40m amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
How many goals has Marcus Rashford scored for Manchester United this season?
Marcus Rashford has been a shadow of his former self in the past 18 months. Last season, the Englishman registered eight goals and five assists from 43 games across competitions for Manchester United.
His form is yet to improve this campaign, with the player registering seven goals and three assists from 24 games so far. The 27-year-old has started just three of Amorim's seven games in charge of the Red Devils.