Manager Unai Emery is adept at reviving the confidence of players who seem past their prime, which is why he urged the board to loan Marco Asensio from PSG and is actively pursuing a deal for Chelsea's Joao Felix.
Before acquiring these two names, Emery had already acquired Marcus Rashford from Manchester United. This veteran strategist believes he can turn around the English striker's career, which is on the decline. Emery has always believed that Rashford is the most dangerous striker in the world and the M.U striker also fits the club's strategy for the next period.
Rashford's two best seasons at Man United were 2019-2020 and 2022-2023, when he scored 17 goals in the Premier League. Look at the heatmap below to see that the 27-year-old's forte is receiving the ball from the back line close to the left side of the opponent's penalty area. In these two seasons, Luke Shaw played consistently, so Rashford benefited a lot. Since the English defender was injured, Rashford's form has also plummeted because there is no one to support him.
While Man United are still unstable on the left wing, Aston Villa have solved this problem. In Emery's hands, Lucas Digne plays very well when playing in the open space on the left wing. With Digne's support, Rashford will be able to maximize his ability. The only obstacle for the English striker is the appearance of Morgan Rogers and Jacob Ramsey. They are the stars who have played consistently on the left wing for Aston Villa in recent times, not easy to be replaced by Marcus Rashford.
If he can't play on the left wing, Rashford can operate on the right. He has played on the right wing four times this season. In those four games, Rashford has not scored a goal, only had 7 shots, 1 on target.
Every time he appears on the right wing, Rashford still tends to drift into the center or drift to the familiar left wing. Therefore, he is easily predicted by the opposing defenders and easily caught. His left-footed shooting ability is also quite poor, so he cannot have the confidence to play on the left wing. Therefore, the option of playing on the right wing is a last resort and Emery will not prioritize it.
Whether Rashford can play as a striker in a 4-4-2 is a question Emery has yet to answer. The England striker was paired with Joshua Zirkzee by Ruben Amorim in a 4-0 win over Everton. Rashford was deployed on the right side of a striker duo and scored two goals. However, Amorim did not make the same arrangement after that match, and Rashford has not had the opportunity to continue experimenting with this role.
Joining Aston Villa, Rashford could play as a striker with Ollie Watkins. With this style of play, the English striker will play lower than Watkins, often turning his back to the opponent's goal to receive the ball. Rashford's weakness in this style of play is that he often passes back in the first move instead of turning towards the opponent's goal. Unai Emery will need to adjust this detail.
At Man United, Rashford was often criticised for his ineffectiveness when the team was out of possession. However, at Aston Villa, Emery's system is very different. Even without the ball, the players will create dense defensive blocks in midfield to make it difficult for opponents to penetrate. When the ball is won back, the speed and fluidity of the counter-attack is terrifying.
Ollie Watkins, John McGinn and Ezri Konsa have all been improved under Unai Emery, so the Spaniard is confident he can do the same with Rashford. After all, Rashford is English, so he can join the local group to become the club's mainstay.
Aston Villa will pay 70% of Rashford's salary and add a £40 million buyout clause at the end of the season. This is a risky investment for the Villa Park team when looking at Rashford's recent achievements. Therefore, Emery needs to have a clear answer for the board with achievements in the near future.
