Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo are facing the opportunity to start over at Manchester United. The performance against Ipswich brought positive signals for Michael Carrick, as both contributed to helping their team win 5-2.
Not long ago, Rashford and Mainoo appearing together in the Man United squad was almost unlikely to happen. Rashford was loaned out, while Mainoo was not favored by Ruben Amorim and once considered leaving Old Trafford.
Now, both have returned. Rashford is given opportunities in attack, while Mainoo starts in midfield with Youri Tielemans. Their appearance helps Carrick have more important options for the season.
Rashford has not scored against Ipswich, but the English striker is constantly active and creates many dangerous situations. He has a volley that is blocked by the goalkeeper and makes a favorable pass for Bryan Mbeumo to finish. Just a little bit of luck, Rashford could have left the field with a goal and an assist.
Harry Maguire assesses Rashford is still a very valuable player for Man United. According to the English center-back, the important thing is that Rashford needs to maintain his fitness, joy in playing football and desire to win.
Rashford's image against Ipswich is also completely different from the difficult time under Amorim. He played actively, was willing to move and was ready to participate in combinations. After what happened, this is the best way for Rashford to gradually regain affection from fans.
Mainoo has another story. The 21-year-old midfielder has never been questioned about attitude or effort, but is not used regularly by Amorim. Carrick is giving him a more suitable role, especially in tackling and defensive support.
Maguire praised Mainoo a lot, especially for his ability to win second balls and one-on-one tackles. The midfielder who grew up from the Man United academy played more powerfully when without the ball, thereby helping his team's midfield become solid.
That difference is even more noticeable when compared to the 0-2 defeat to Hull. Fernandes is still the focus with a hat-trick, but Mainoo also contributes to creating a more energetic midfield when playing with Tielemans.
I think his ability to move and play without the ball has improved a lot since Carrick arrived. Perhaps that is the effort of Carrick and the coaching staff.
Now, when he doesn't have the ball, Mainoo is really strong in tackles in midfield. He gets a lot of second balls and wins many duels" - Maguire commented on Mainoo.
With Carrick, Rashford and Mainoo can become two important cards in the plan to build Man United. One needs to regain their best form, the other needs to continue to be given opportunities. If both maintain stability, the "Red Devils" will have more strength from the players who have grown up in their academy.
