Marcus Rashford told to 'show his obsession about football again' as ex-Man Utd star warns him to avoid distractions after inviting 'scrutiny' with New York trip

Despite being given the opportunity to shine from the bench against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, when the Red Devils were in a tight spot, Rashford failed to make a difference and his underwhelming performances have fuelled ongoing questions about his commitment to the game. New United boss Ruben Amorim has warned the English forward that he must "want it" more and similar concerns have been voiced by former Red Devils forward Louis Saha, who has pointed out the need for Rashford to demonstrate more drive and determination.

Rashford's attendance at an NBA game in New York during the last international break - after he'd been left out of the England squad again - raised eyebrows and reignited debates about his priorities.

Speaking to Casino Utan Spelpaus, Saha suggested that such distractions hinder his potential: "Marcus has to actually show his obsession about football again. He needs to clearly show that he's obsessed and that he wants to be the best player. If he's doing something outside the game, he will understand the consequences.

"You can do whatever you want, travel everywhere you want, but there are consequences. If you are obsessed, you don’t need those distractions. He should be obsessed, which will only improve his game. When you see interviews with athletes that he really admires, they all say the same thing. When they want to reach the top, they train more than anybody. You don't see them doing anything outside."

As a high-profile English player representing one of the world's most followed clubs, Rashford is under a magnifying glass. Saha acknowledged the difficulty of balancing such pressures but urged Rashford to embrace his responsibilities as a superstar.

"He is always under scrutiny. He has to understand. He can't just ask people to shut up," Saha said. "They're not going to do it. They love his name, they love the affiliation with Manchester United, a club that is followed everywhere in the world. Rashford is an English player in one of the most popular football teams in the world. You have to understand that scrutiny is normal because you are a superstar. He perhaps thinks that he's still very young and that he should be protected from all the scrutiny and left to get on with his football. People don't see it that way because, in some ways, Marcus is at the stage where he's got the status which demands more than a normal player. This is the problem, and he has to play with this."

After an underwhelming 2023-24 campaign, Rashford has also struggled to rediscover his best form in the current season. The forward snapped his eight-match goalless streak by scoring in two consecutive Premier League games against Ipswich and Everton, but was once again an anonymous figure during the defeats to Arsenal and Forest. Overall, he has netted seven times this season with just four of them coming in the English top-flight across 15 appearances.

As Rashford grapples with his dipping form, United face their own struggles. The team’s latest home defeat to Forest saw them slip into the bottom half of the Premier League table again. Their next immediate challenge is a Europa League clash against Viktoria Plzen on Thursday, followed by the Manchester derby against City on Sunday.