We recently caught up with former Manchester United defender Paul Parker who shared his thoughts on the future of Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford who could be heading towards his last summer at the club. He also delved into on the pitch issues at the club and the likelihood of Erik ten Hag staying at the club beyond this season.
In this article:
- PSG would be a bad move for Rashford
- This Manchester United team are selfish claims Parker
- Garnacho does too much and is nowhere near the talent of a young Ryan Giggs
PSG would be a bad move for Rashford
Should Marcus Rashford leave Manchester United this summer? Or will United be willing to sell the England international? The academy graduate who has spent his entire career at United. A club that he loves and a club that should love him back. Reports suggest that United are prepared to sell the majority of their stars this summer but is Rashford on the chopping block?
“I don’t think Rashford going to PSG would be a good move and PSG have come away from spending silly money and bringing in outside superstars. We saw that when Neymar and Messi left the club and they haven’t returned to that path since.
“They want to buy younger players, homegrown and be the national team or or the second national team being in Paris.
“I don’t think Rashford wants to leave United because he’s worried about what’s outside of Manchester. All we’ve seen from Rashford is words. He needs to show why he wants to stay at United.”
Previously Rashford was deemed one of the most exciting players in the Premier League. Pace to burn, could beat defenders in 1vs1 situations, skillful, explosive and direct. Yet that seems to have disappeared from his game in recent years. Especially this season. Parker believes that the England international has forgotten what his strengths are which is holding him back from being the player he previously was.
“Life and football is about action and he needs better people working for him. Someone that will say no rather than yes men. He needs football people around him. People that understand that football is about commitment and having the right attitude.
“He needs to look in the mirror and ask himself if he can give more to the team. He doesn’t seem to know what his strengths are. He tries to dribble past four players and it’s not his strength. Dribbling is not his strength.
“His strength is that he’s a strong runner, a good athlete and use that to his advantage. That will create space for him to get one vs ones where he can use his pace and a bit of ability.”
Rashford and his Manchester United team-mates are set to return to action on Monday evening, when they take on Crystal Palace, in what promises to be a potentially tricky match for the Red Devils. They’re priced at 7/4 on bet365 to win this match, and be sure to use the bet365 bonus code when signing up as a new customer, as they have a great sign-up offer that won an award at the UK Bookmaker Awards.
This Manchester United team are selfish claims Parker
One of the players at United that continues to divide opinion is club captain Bruno Fernandes. Some see him as a passionate leader who will do anything and everything to win. Others see the Portuguese attacking midfielder as a greedy, selfish leader who does more moaning than he does leading. Fernandes has scored 15 goals and has 11 assists for the Red Devils this season. Parker is of the belief that the Manchester United team are selfish and haven’t done their due diligence when bringing players in.
“The team is very selfish. It’s a selfish team. The club may have been run selfishly in the last few years before INEOS came in.
“They were going out and bringing in the wrong players, not doing their due diligence on the person. It’s not just about the footballer you bring in. It’s also about the person. They can bring the wrong vibes to a dressing room.
“Look at two of the best players in recent times in Henry and Messi and the number of goals they could have scored but they decided to roll the ball for someone in a better position. They’re happy for the team to come first.”
Parker has remained adamant in his stance that ten Hag needs to be allowed to build this Manchester United team in his image and gutting the United squad will allow the Dutchman to do so.
“I don’t think United have unselfish players. They play the blame game and that won’t change in the current United squad. Changing the manager isn’t going to change that.
“It needs a few of the players to go then the manager can build with better players than he has.
“Football is a team game. It’s not won by the individuals. They can win you cups but when it comes to domestic league, you need a team.”
With ten Hag coming under increasing pressure at Old Trafford during his second season at the club, reports have suggested ten Hag could be set to return to the club where he won three league titles, two Dutch Cups, and led them to the Champions League semi-finals. However, Parker claims that the United boss will not want to return to a club that could be deemed as a step down from the allure of Manchester United.
“I’m sure Ajax do want him back because it went wrong when he left. They lost key players and used him leaving the club to sell players to get money in.
“I think ten Hag has something to prove so Ajax isn’t going to want to go back to Ajax because it’s like running with a tail between your legs.
“I’m sure he’s got an ego that he believes he’s better and he’ll want to stay at United to prove himself and to go and get better tools.
“He didn’t arrive at United with the right tools. The younger players that have come in have done well but they need senior players who will give them the right information.”
Garnacho does too much and is nowhere near the talent of a young Ryan Giggs
One of the few bright sparks in a dismal season for Manchester United has been the development of their younger talents. Alejandro Garnacho, who broke into the United side last season has hit seven goals and four assists in 32 games this season. He is now one of the first names on the team sheets yet Parker hits out at the 19 year olds claiming he’s not of the level of Ryan Giggs who was also an academy graduate at the club.
“Garnacho has come in and everyone wants to rave about him but at 19 he’s nowhere near the level of talent that Ryan Giggs was and Giggs came through in the academy.
“He’s not at the level of previous young United players but those players came into a prominent side in English football that was full of unselfish players. They just wanted to win games of football.
“Garnacho has come in and looks great because he’s allowed lenience. He does too much and should be put to task but he isn’t because he’s young and supposed to still be learning.
“He needs to be told where he’s going wrong. He’s not learning. He’s learning the wrong things and being taught the wrong way by the players on the pitch. He needs help and no one is communicating with him.
“Look at City, Arsenal or Liverpool. You can see when players are giving constructive criticism.”
