Sublime Marcus Rashford piles the pressure on Frank Lampard
KEY MOMENTS
In the not-so-distant past, any suggestion of comparison between Marcus Rashford and the world’s best forward Kylian Mbappe would have been greeted with a snort of derision. Not anymore. Sublime Marcus Rashford piles the pressure on Frank Lampard
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With Frank Lampard’s Everton future in continued doubt after this spirited defeat, it was Rashford who sliced his side apart. The way he glided over the turf, the speed with which he attacked his marker, the ease with which he beat his opponents, the constant threat he posed, inside and outside of the area, it was a performance the French superstar would have been proud of.Sublime Marcus Rashford piles the pressure on Frank Lampard
Rashford is no longer being left behind. The 25-year-old no longer looks like another exciting English player who lost their way, over-hyped and overpaid. Erik ten Hag has helped him smile again, rebuilt his confidence, and restored his sense of purpose in a team that is finally starting to look like a Manchester United one should
With each win – this was their seventh on the spin – United regain some swagger. In every single one, Rashford has sparkled. This is as good as he has ever looked – something he acknowledged in his post-match interview.Sublime Marcus Rashford piles the pressure on Frank Lampard
It is no longer a question of whether Rashford deserves to play for United, it is whether United can persuade him to stay. With fewer than 18 months remaining on his contract and Mbappe’s Paris Saint-Germain lurking in the wings, there is a delight at having him back, but also a fear of losing him too. Sublime Marcus Rashford piles the pressure on Frank Lampard
It is a worry for another day. In a thoroughly entertaining, if mistake-ridden, FA cup tie, Rashford was again superb, with two assists, a goal, and a blistering round display. Sublime Marcus Rashford piles the pressure on Frank Lampard
Lampard’s side showed plenty of spirit and flashes of quality too. They are still playing for the manager, but cannot find a way to end their current ordeal. It is now one win in 12.Sublime Marcus Rashford piles the pressure on Frank Lampard
The away fans were in fine voice all evening, the songs shifting from those proclaiming their love for Everton, to angry demands for the board to be sacked. It was a cauldron of emotion, a bubbling mix of anger and loyal defiance. Even at the end, they applauded Lampard and the players, before bursting into more chants abusing the board that appointed him. Sublime Marcus Rashford piles the pressure on Frank Lampard
“We deserved better I think,” said Lampard. “The effort, the determination…after the defeat we had this week [against Brighton] this was the performance any manager would want in terms of attitude. We created the better chances, Marcus Rashford was the difference between the two teams. Nobody can stop him when he is like he was tonight. Sublime Marcus Rashford piles the pressure on Frank Lampard
“We need to make the fans feel like they did about their team tonight in our next game at Goodison Park, we need to do it with wins.”Sublime Marcus Rashford piles the pressure on Frank Lampard
It is the men in suits in offices and boardrooms above him who are the focus of fan fury, but it is not helped when they witness the sort of diabolical defending that led to Manchester United’s first goal. It was so simple, so straightforward. Antony Martial did well to work the ball wide to Rashford, who stood Ben Godfrey up, slowed him down, and then accelerated past. Everton still had the players in the box to defend the cross, but none of them tracked Antony’s run. The ball from Rashford was perfect and the Brazilian slid in to poke into the net. Less than four minutes had been played.
Confidence shot, an awful clearance from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford fell straight to Rashford and his shot from the edge of the area arrowed millimeters wide. Pickford apologized. It felt like it was going to be the first of many made and more calamity followed.
But it was not an Everton player who needed to hang their heads. After Demarai Gray had hit the post, David de Gea had a shocker.
Forgetting goalkeepers are allowed to use their hands, he tried to keep a tame effort from Neil Maupay out with his feet, the ball squirming through his legs, leaving Conor Coady with a tap-in. The game was chaotic, unstructured, disjointed, and breathless, Pickford atoning for his poor kick with a brilliant save to deny Rashford.
At least Lampard’s men were showing some fight, Godfrey clashing with Rashford, leading to some pushing and shoving. Rashford, though, is not so easily knocked out of his stride. Once again, he was electric, driving forward at speed, forcing another fine save from Pickford from long range. It was a game littered with mistakes but sprinkled with moments of quality – from both sides. You could not take your eyes off it.
Another Everton counterattack at the start of the second half looked like it could lead to a goal but ended with Alex Iwobi going off on a stretcher, his ankle buckling and twisting under a fair tackle from Tyrell Malacia
A promising situation was snuffed out, followed by an act of self-harm. Seconds later, on United’s next attack, Rashford twisted Seamus Coleman in knots, before drilling in a low cross that was turned into his own goal by Coady.
It would have been easy to give up and ready the excuses. But Everton kept coming and it felt desperately cruel when Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal was ruled out by Var for offside after some brilliant work by Gray again.
Play like this and Everton can stay up. Play like this and Lampard deserves to stay but will the board see it the same way after a third goal was scored in stoppage time? Rashford converted from the spot after Godfrey had fouled Alejandro Garnacho.
“Again, it was a great performance from Marcus,” said Ten Hag. “Marcus was the one who got us in front, he showed the belief, the movement, and he was a threat for 90 minutes.
“How can you measure the impact of a striker? Goals and assists. He had one goal and two assists. He has great skills and the mentality to keep going.”
