[WATCH] Rashford BLASTS Man Utd strategy, REVEALS why the Red Devils keep struggling

Marcus Rashford has offered a candid assessment of Manchester United’s struggles, stating that a lack of a cohesive long-term strategy has left the club in a state of flux.

Rashford, a product of the Manchester United academy, had a decent career at the club. 

The Englishman made 426 appearances, scoring 138 goals and winning two FA Cups and two League Cups; he also won the Europa League. 

Notably, Rashford scored on his senior, Premier League, EFL Cup and Champions League debuts. He also became the 22nd player to reach 100 goals for the club. 

The forward’s time at Old Trafford concluded with a loan spell at Aston Villa before his loan move to Barcelona.

Apart from falling out with United boss Ruben Amorim, Rashford's move to Barcelona was driven by his frustration with the Red Devils’ lack of a long-term plan. 

The forward believes that the club's instability, caused by numerous managerial changes since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, has left the club lacking direction. 

“Show me a successful team that just adapts,” Rashford told the Rest is Football podcast.

“When Fergie was in charge, not only the principles for the first team, the whole academy set-up so you could pick players from 15 years and over – that’s a full generation. And they’d all understand the principles of playing the Man United way, right?

Rashford then drew a comparison to Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp, highlighting that they stuck with their manager despite not winning immediately, which ultimately led to success. 

The Englishman feels that United's approach has been reactionary, focusing on adapting to different ideas and signing players to fit temporary systems rather than adhering to a single, established philosophy.

“When Liverpool went through this, they got Klopp, they stuck with him,” Rashford said. “They didn’t win in the beginning. People only remember his final few years when he was competing with [Manchester] City and winning the biggest trophies – he certainly didn’t win for three years.

“To start a transition, you have to make a plan and stick to it. So this is the thing that I feel – it’s not easy. But this is where I speak about being realistic with what your situation is. I feel like we’ve had that many different managers and different ideas and different strategies in order to win … you end up in the middle of – you end up in no man’s land.

“You see it with any team that’s been successful over a period of time: they have principles that any coach that comes in, any player that comes in, has to align to these principles or be able to add to these principles.

"Whereas at times I feel like United have just been … we’re hungry to win, so we’ll always try to adapt and to sign players that fit this system. But it’s reactionary.”

Rashford has had a mixed start to his Barcelona career. The forward acknowledged a tough pre-season, finding Hansi Flick’s training regime demanding. 

In his unofficial home debut, a friendly against Como, he displayed moments of his pace and creativity, setting up a goal. 

However, he also missed a notable chance, which the Spanish media have highlighted. 

Notably, Rashford has been deployed as a centre-forward, a position he knows well, although he prefers a slightly wider role, and he might continue in that position while Robert Lewandowski is sidelined through injury.