Marcus Rashford delivered a scathing assessment of Manchester United\'s decline, claiming the club lacks identity since Sir Alex Ferguson\'s retirement and remains trapped in \"no man\'s land.\"
The Barcelona loanee blamed frequent managerial changes and inconsistent strategies for undermining United\'s playing principles. Rashford argued the club has failed to implement a meaningful transition since Ferguson departed in 2013.
United finished 15th last season in their worst Premier League campaign since relegation in 1973-74. The club has appointed six permanent managers since Ferguson\'s retirement, with no successor lasting three full seasons.
\"Show me a successful team that just adapts,\" Rashford told the Rest is Football podcast. \"When Fergie was in charge, not only the principles for the first team, the whole academy set-up so you could pick players from 15 years and over.\"
Rashford criticized United\'s reactive approach to squad building and tactical systems. He argued successful teams maintain core principles regardless of coaching changes, while United constantly adapts without establishing foundational identity.
The England forward suggested United has attempted multiple transitions without committing to any single plan. He emphasized that constant directional changes prevent championship-level success.
\"If your direction\'s always changing, you can\'t expect to be able to win the league,\" Rashford said. \"People say we\'ve been in a transition for years. To be in a transition, you have to start the transition.\"
Rashford pointed to Liverpool\'s approach under Jürgen Klopp as a successful transition model. The German manager joined Liverpool in 2015 but didn\'t secure his first trophy until 2019, eventually ending the club\'s 30-year title drought in 2020.
The striker emphasized patience and consistency as crucial elements missing from United\'s post-Ferguson era. He argued that meaningful organizational change requires sustained commitment to established principles.
\"When Liverpool went through this, they got Klopp, they stuck with him,\" Rashford said. \"To start a transition, you have to make a plan and stick to it.\"