Marcus Rashford has returned to Old Trafford in a new role under Michael Carrick, with the task of proving that he can still become an important factor for Manchester United.
The cheers for Rashford appeared right from the start of the match, marking the special return of the player who grew up from the Man United academy. After 18 months away from the team, in which he successively wore Aston Villa and Barcelona shirts, Rashford once again appeared at Old Trafford to the welcome of about 76,000 spectators.
Rashford's last time playing for the "Red Devils" at Old Trafford was on December 7, 2024, when he came on as a substitute in the 2-3 defeat to Nottingham Forest. At that time, the relationship between him and Ruben Amorim became tense. After that, Rashford left Manchester to look for new opportunities.
Therefore, his return to Man United surprised many people. However, Carrick is still willing to give the English striker a chance to start over. This coach understands that Rashford has the qualities that Man United needs, especially experience and the ability to create breakthroughs in attack.
What Carrick needs from Rashford is not just goals. At the age of 28, he must become one of the leaders of the team and a role model for young talents like Shea Lacey or JJ Gabriel to learn from.
Rashford's ability has never been a problem. After a period of loan at Barcelona, he still maintains enough form to participate with the England team at the 2026 World Cup. In the summer, this striker also actively trains separately and invites old teammates to Miami to support training sessions.
In the match against Ipswich, Rashford was positioned on the left wing and quickly created encouraging signals. He can stick to the wing, overcome defenders and then put the ball inside or into the center to find space. Rashford tried both options and created some chances, but Man United lacked a striker sharp enough to take advantage of those passes.
Bruno Fernandes is the one who dominates the limelight with a hat-trick, but Man United cannot forever depend on the Portuguese captain. Rashford needs to look at Fernandes' influence to understand the role he has to take in a team looking for a new direction.
Rashford was not in his best form and did not score or assist in that match, but his fighting spirit has improved significantly. Continuous movements alongside Bryan Mbeumo made Ipswich's defense strained to defend.
I am really satisfied with Marcus Rashford. His return to official play and contributing to a good performance is great. I think he did very well in an unfavorable situation" - Carrick commented.
Carrick still wants to use Benjamin Sesko in the center forward position. When the Slovenian striker fully recovers, the appearance of a striker capable of taking advantage of crosses will open up more space for Rashford as well as other attacking players.
After a year playing alongside Robert Lewandowski at Barcelona, Rashford has become accustomed to having a true center forward who is always waiting for passes in the penalty area. Sesko can bring him a similar destination at Man United.
The relationship between Rashford and Man United cannot immediately return to the way it was before. However, the performance against Ipswich has opened up the possibility that the two sides can find common ground once again.
