Jose Mourinho 'speaks truth' on Marcus Rashford with clear stance since Man Utd sacking

Jose Mourinho was convinced Marcus Rashford would struggle to be a consistent goalscorer at Manchester United - as he revealed his stance after being sacked from the Premier League giants.

The 27-year-old emerged as a regular for club and country under Mourinho, who he won the Europa League and EFL Cup with in the manager's first season at Old Trafford.

The Portuguese boss managed the Red Devils for two and a half seasons before he was dismissed in December 2018 after a dismal run of form.

After his sacking from the club, the ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid boss appeared on Sky Sports as a pundit for a United game where he was questioned about Rashford's potential.

Having been a key player for his boyhood club since his second season, Rashford played 125 games for Mourinho but scored just 25 goals as the 61-year-old admitted he didn't think he had the quality to lead the line for United.

Footage that resurfaced on social media carried the caption: "Jose Mourinho couple of weeks after he got sacked by Manchester United spoke the truth about Marcus Rashford! Seeing this now and realizing that he has spoken the truth."

In it, Mourinho told Sky Sports' David Jones: "For me, the point is not his age. The point is his qualities and for me, he is potentially a very good player. He's a very good player in some models of play, he's a very good player in some positions. As a target man, as a number nine, I don't think he has the sort of goals that the top striker has.

Image: 2018 Getty Images) 2018 Getty Images)

"For me, he can't get better as a number nine. He can get better playing from the left side, playing with another one as a target man but for him to be the target man in matches where United are dominant and playing against defensive teams and low blocks, I think it's difficult for him."

While he did go on to score 30 goals across all competitions in the 2022/23 season, he's failed to reach those levels, instead suffering a significant drop in form as he's scored just 15 goals combined in his last two seasons.

Amid Rashford's current struggles where he's been left out of the United squad for the last four games by Ruben Amorim after admitting he's open to leaving Old Trafford, some fans had Mourinho's back. One fan took to X and wrote: "Mourinho knows ball. It's unfortunate he never got the support of the Glazers. Everything he ever said about United came true. And he is right about Rashford."

Image: Getty Images) Getty Images)

Another user lambasted Rashford's lack of improvement and effort on the pitch as they commented: "His all around game has gotten worse as he’s aged. He’s been more and more selfish the older he's gotten as well as he’s become lazy in pressing."

As United's second-longest serving player in the current team, Amorim urged the forward to take on more responsibility following their 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth last week as he said: "If you have big talent, big performance, big responsibility, push forward everybody in this moment.

"Some guys have a big responsibility here because they are here for a long time. This is maybe one of the lowest moments in our club so we have to face it and be strong in this moment. That's what I want from every player on the team."

Rashford stunned the footballing world when revealing his desire to seek a new challenge away from Manchester earlier this month. Talking to journalist Henry Winter, Rashford admitted: "For me, personally, I think I'm ready for a new challenge and the next steps.

"When I leave it's going to be 'no hard feelings'. You're not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That's me as a person.

"If I know that a situation is already bad I'm not going to make it worse. I've seen how other players have left in the past and I don't want to be that person. When I leave I'll make a statement and it will be from me."

With the January transfer window approaching fast, Rashford could be in line for a swift exit from his boyhood club but United may struggle to find suitors due to his reported wage of £350,000 a week.

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