Marcus Rashford has made a surprising claim about the state of Manchester United, saying the club is “in no man’s land” after years of changing managers and chasing different strategies.
The England star, now on loan at Barcelona, shared his honest thoughts on United’s problems in an interview with The Rest is Football podcast. His comments have sparked debates about the club’s direction under new manager Ruben Amorim.
Rashford, who could join Barcelona permanently if his La Liga spell goes well, said the main problem is that United have never truly started a proper “transition” since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
“People say we’ve been in a transition for years, but to be in a transition you have to start it,” Rashford said. “The actual transition hasn’t started yet.”
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He compared United’s situation to Liverpool’s rebuild under Jurgen Klopp.
“When Liverpool went through this, they got Klopp and stuck with him. They didn’t win in the beginning, but they had a plan and stayed with it. That’s what we’ve never done.”
Rashford explained that United have been too quick to change managers, ideas, and strategies in the hope of winning immediately. This constant chopping and changing, he said, has left the club drifting.
Liverpool reached the Europa League final in Klopp’s first season, losing to Sevilla. United did the same last season under Amorim, but it’s unclear if the board will be as patient as Liverpool’s owners were.
Klopp took more than two years to reach a Champions League final and nearly four years to win a major trophy. Since Ferguson left, no United manager has lasted three years in the job.
Rashford said Ferguson’s success came from having clear principles that were shared across the whole club, from the academy to the first team.
“When Fergie was in charge, even 15-year-old academy players knew the Man United way. That’s a full generation of players all following the same principles,” he said.
He believes modern United have lost that identity, becoming “reactionary” instead.
“At times I feel like United just adapt to whatever manager comes in and buy players for their system. But it’s reactionary, not part of a bigger plan.”
This summer, Amorim has been given a huge transfer budget to bring in players for his preferred 3-4-2-1 system.
United spent £200 million on new attackers, signing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo as twin No.10s, and Benjamin Sesko for £74m as the main striker.
Last season, United struggled in attack with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee sharing the No.9 role, both failing to score regularly.
In defence, new signing Diego Leon adds depth, and there could be more arrivals before the transfer window closes.
Amorim believes competition for places is a good thing, unlike last season when injuries forced him to field weakened teams.
“This is normal – players need to fight for their place,” Amorim said after United’s 2-1 win over Fiorentina in a friendly. “Last season we struggled to put 11 players on the pitch. Now I have to make tough choices.”
The Portuguese coach said he will give players strong training sessions during the week and decide the lineup based on who impresses him most.
United will start the new season with a big test – an away match against Arsenal on Sunday.
For Rashford, watching from Spain, the hope is that Amorim will finally be given the time and trust to rebuild the team properly.
But his words also carry a warning: without a clear, long-term plan, United risk staying “in no man’s land” for years to come.
