Manchester United should use the rest of the season as a trial for their entire squad, including Marcus Rashford. The 24-year-old is defended.

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Agent Sanchez
I never imagined Alexis Sanchez could surpass his fine work at United, but I’m clearly a fool.  He’s still got it.
Aidan, Lfc (phew, that was too close for comfort)

Lamp post
Lacking in basic skills

Unable to build for the future effectively so throwing youth onto crumbling foundations to hide the spreading cracks

A rapidly crumbling appearance looking more and more like a hungover bulldog chewing a wasp

Massively overhyped and over rated by the English media

Lampard is the perfect fit for United.
Tim Sutton (right about Ronaldo from the start)

Marcus and more
I know it’s the fashion currently to abuse Rashford for a poor season. And even now to rewrite history to suggest “he’s been poor for a while now” so should be sold (apparently matching what Sané has done in his best seasons isn’t enough).

But I thought I’d just throw some facts about, since while they don’t prove everything, they do make a clear point.

Picking up on the correct but slightly unfair grief for Bruno vs City (yes, he was terrible, no doubt, but on his best day he wouldn’t suit the position) it’s not just this one game: according to official stats, he’s missed 6 big chances so far this season, 9 goals from 65 shots. Those big chances have made the difference in games, costing points. Not to mention the number of times he’s caught in possession.

For full context, Ronaldo has taken 79 shots, scored 9 and missed big chances an impressive 13 times. Sancho, who has been settling in and now finding his form has taken 20 shots, scored 3 and missed 3 big chances.

Elanga, wonderful player as he is with direct running and wonderful inexperience has taken 13 shots, scored 2 goals and had 2 big misses.

Meanwhile Rashford by comparison, who is regularly abused, has had 19 shots, 4 goals and just 1 big miss.

Stats eh?

At least the reality of the problems at United is finally undeniable. An unsuitable striker who misses a lot, a midfielder who takes a lot of shots and… misses a lot. A defender who cannot defend and is directly involved in probably about 80% of the goals conceded (all four vs City) and, of course, no CDM to break up opponent attacks.

As far as fixing things, Rangnick could still be the right person – it sure as hell isn’t Poch – but nothing will change until the board back the correct decisions. And I for one don’t see any manager getting that backing and support any time soon if they refuse to trust the guy they brought in specifically to do it.

Just hope it doesn’t take another 15 years.
Badwolf

The recent hatred aimed towards Rashford is absolutely mental to me. I genuinely can’t fathom how some people can think this illogically.

I’ll start with Kufre’s mail where he mentions Rashford has a great PR team seemingly because he’s overrated or something? Well no, his PR team must he shit because nobody seems to rate him anymore. Or at least you haven’t for the past 24 months? Are you serious? Those 24 months include some of his best moments for United. His return last season was 11G and 9A in the league. In addition, he got 6 in the CL including a last minute winner vs PSG. Those 24 months also include his performances at the end of the 19-20 season where he was brilliant and helped United get 3rd during the lockdown period. He ended that season with 17PL goals. If you’re going to say he’s been sh*t, at least he honest with yourself and say his form has declined in the last 6 months. That would be more appropriate.

But you’re clearly just talking nonsense. This crap about him not having work ethic is just not true, is it. I’ve seen loads of United fans say this. He’s playing terribly but you can tell he’s giving his all. He played through injury for like 2 years, why would he stop trying now? More than 11 goals thrice in 3 years? You do realise he was a teenager for two of them and he’s not a striker. Was Mane and Salah scoring 10+ PL goals a season at that age?

Similarly, Andrews mail on Rashford was equally weird. Why are you comparing CF Ollie Watkins with LW Marcus Rashford? Watkins is like 3 years older than Rashford is and hasn’t achieved anywhere near the same in the game. Rashfords numbers aren’t world class but they’re good. 10,17,11 are good numbers for a winger. If Saka goes on to get them kind of numbers I’ll be delighted.

I always expect this kinda stuff to happen to young English players once they hit this age. If you’re not world class constantly they’ll bash you and get sick of you and want a new toy. You’re not allowed to be in a bad run of form and once you do it means you’re sh*t and not trying. They’ll want Ollie Watkins to replace you even though his numbers aren’t any way better, he’s older than you and doesn’t even play in the same position as you.

Sterling was finished last season… And now he’s back. Rashford is clearly suffering from a lack of confidence but so is the entire team. I’ve seen United fans hope they sell him and it’s such a joke. You’re selling an academy player who has scored 100 goals for the club and loves the club because he’s in bad form. Please help me make sense of that. How many players his age have accomplished what he has? I’ve seen enough of Rashford to know what a good player he can be, likewise Sancho. Bad form doesn’t not mean they’re sh*t. I’ve no doubts if they were playing for Pep and Klopp they would not be playing this badly. I don’t want to see these same people praising Rashford if or when he’s back in form next season. He doesn’t deserve to make the next England squad but he also doesn’t deserve the fickle morons trying to hound him out of the club, and I hate United.
Dion, Arsenal.

Manchester United are boring
I love this current era of football, it’s mesmeric. Nothing is set in stone from season to season and it makes for compelling viewing/reading.

As a Liverpool fan, I’ve got some incredibly red-tinted specs on, and absolutely love the challenge that City and Pep pose to the club. I genuinely don’t think we’d have been driven to those heights in the same way, if City were just good/decent. They’re a necessary evil in some regards.

And that brings me to United (shock horror, another Mailbox entry about United). They were the Premier League benchmark, they either drove other clubs to greatness (Arsenal/Chelsea) or to madness (Liverpool) but it’s done.

The problem is they refuse to accept it. Liverpool refused to accept it once, and it took them a long time to shift the mindset. United don’t want to, or to a degree, need to.

I guess the problem now is that their current shambles makes for infinitely more interesting “content” than most. Everyone loves when a great tumbles or falls, mankind can’t seem to accept or appreciate sustained success. We become sniffy or mistrusting. Now that it’s over, we celebrate it. That alone is weird but I guess most of the sporting agenda is driven by red tops who’s revenue relies on this mindset.

The challenge United have is that this narrative is becoming boring. Same issues and counter issues. Same press leaks. Nothing is new or interesting with the problem, debating it uncovers nothing new.

Superstar players on superstar wages don’t make a team or guarantee cohesion but they’re too far down this path now, trying to wind back an ever growing wage bill without tangible success, will end in tears.

I guess what I’ve not really said, or come close to saying in this ramble, is I’m looking forward to a “Post United” inbox, where new conversations appear that no longer conform to the same tropes and cliches and we all move on. I don’t imagine this even cast new light on anything going on, so it just became a self fulfilling prophecy…
Barry M (Perth)

The other side
Sometimes you need to hit rock bottom to come back to the top. And if this season has shown something, it is that 60-70% of the squad should be sold and aren’t worthy of putting on the shirt. Other than Bruno, Elanga, Sancho, Dalot, DDG and a few more, around 15 people need to be axed from the squad. A whole overhaul is needed and the weekly mockery of United will ensure that a proper overhaul is undertaken.

Even at a time when we are at our absolute worst, its not that that bad, and we may finish somewhere around 7-8th. I would prefer if the rest of the 8 games is a straight up trial for the 10 players who will stay, and the rest can f**k right off. This season is a write-off, so use it as a way to cut off the bad quality players and build towards next season.

Regards,
Aman (I am okay with United losing, but not okay with players not trying) 

Mo problems
Has anyone else noticed a slight dip in form from Salah since the AFCON? Since his return, he has scored one goal from play, and two penalties which are often used as a stick to beat the likes of Bruno with when questioning his impact from play. He also has one assist in that time-frame which is way below his ludicrous production earlier in the season. He was subdued in the Carabao Cup final as well (even missing a chance he’d usually bury), and was the first player substituted vs. West Ham with the game in the balance.

Now I am not suggesting for one minute that he is on the wane before I get rounded upon by sensitive souls, but it does seem like all the cumulative minutes he has played over the last few seasons are starting to catch up.

Cue him catching fire again over the next couple of league games.
Brian, Wexford.

Forward thinking
Comparing Henry to Kane is like comparing Wrighty to Henry.

Henry is the better player but Kane is the better striker.

But Bergkamp’s better than all three of them.
Graham Simons, Gooner, Norf London

Ten random conclusions
I have too much time on my hands today, so I thought I would write in to the mailbox. Exciting life I have, I know! But just some things I have noticed

1. Mahrez is good at football, isn’t  he? and Foden looks like a real talent, I can see him ripping it up at Madrid or Barcelona after he’s won everything with City.

2. Stats – % pass completion – A pass is completed, even if the player receiving the ball has to turn around and run back 30 yards to get it. Nothing beats the eye test when talking about passing in my opinion. If a ‘clearance’ happens to go to someone on the same team, is it a long pass? How do they decide which? I would love to read an article on how to use stats properly or a combined use of different stats. I don’t use them, but still find them  interesting

3. Some players need time to settle at a new club, especially where the manager plays specific or difficult to understand tactics.There are so many examples of this. Robertson, Fabiniho, Mahrez, Rodri, Cancelo. Why are people so quick to say X player is ‘terrible’? I see it with Grealish now

4. Are linesmen/assistant referees even needed anymore?

5. Are they teaching the young English lads how to defend these days? Plenty of top young forwards – Foden, Sancho, Rashford, Dominic CL, Saka, Smith-Rowe, Greenwood. Even Rice, Bellingham, Mount, Elliot in midfield are very good players. Can’t think of a young English CB at that sort of level. Even the RB’s are more winger than full back.

6. Money/Wages/Transfer warchests are talked about a lot these days. Fans really do get upset about how much player X is getting paid and how much he cost. Has it always been like this? Maybe sentences like ”the 75 million pound man only completed 7 of his 10 attempted passes” (for example, not a real quote) haven’t helped everything to become about money

7. How many first-team players do you (realistically) expect your team to sign in 1 transfer window?

8. Why Ten-Haag? He’s only been at Ajax since 2019, coming from Utrecht. He manages players like Tadic, Haller and Davy Klaassen, Blind – decent players, but weren’t able to make the step up after big transfer fees however, all doing quite well in the Eredivisie. Why is everyone so sure Ten Hag will solve their problems? I mean he might, but far from the sure thing some fans seem to think he is.

9. Why on earth did Everton bring Frank Lampard in? It’s already looking like one of the worst decisions of the season. With only 2 more PL games in March and April looking like a difficult month, (West Ham away, Man united home, then Liverpool away and Chelsea home) Everton could go down.

10. When people refer to a league being ‘a farmer’s league’, I always find their mails to be in line with the mails from mailboxers who write ‘Manyoo’ or ‘Loserpool’ etc. I’ve always wondered why you print these kinds of mails, it’s beneath you F365 and might be a reason why there haven’t been many evening mailboxes over the last while …
Dave (I like the site. Keep up the good work) Chile

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