Marcus Rashford was known as ‘the kid’ while Jose Mourinho was a manager at Manchester United. However, ‘the kid’ recently celebrated his 22nd birthday and all of a sudden looks like an elder statesman at Manchester United. We’re not only referring to his age but his overall performance as well.

On Wednesday at Chelsea, Rashford managed to lift the hopes and dreams of Manchester United with a glorious 2-1 victory during the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, scoring an easy penalty followed by one of the best free kicks you have ever seen in your life from about 30 yards away. This occurred a mere 17 minutes from the final whistle. Marcus Rashford now impresses with a total of 4 goals in only three starts for the Red Devils. This happened after he endured an 11-game losing streak away from home which dates back to March. Now, he has won 3 on the bounce while away from Old Trafford in a mere six days.

Coaching Issues

After Ole Gunnar Solskjaer experienced two tough months as the head coach for Manchester United, the tide seems to have finally turned and Marcus Rashford is definitely at the heart of this revival. However, the kid from England is not a child anymore. This was his 184th appearance for Manchester United since he made his debut under Louis van Gaal when he was only 17 years old. Since then, he has scored a total of 52 goals, and that number keeps on climbing.

No one can deny that Marcus Rashford, along with Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial, would greatly benefit from a veteran centre-forward to offer guidance and competition. However, Rashford has managed to emerge from the slump he experienced during the start of the season to become a massive figure for those that wish to follow in his footsteps at Manchester United.

Chelsea vs Manchester United

At Stamford Bridge, the Man Utd manager decided to start Brandon Williams (19), Daniel James (21), and Scott McTominay (22), while the bench provided players like James Garner (18). As Marcus Rashford has indicated, young players will get the opportunity to show off their skills and abilities in a United shirt this season. However, the club needs to be wary as consistency is required for the Premier League season and that means that experienced players between the ages of 25 and 27 need to be on the filed as well.

It was quite surprising to see that Frank Lampard made the same choices when it came to his squad, allowing youngsters to rule the field during the Carabao Cup. For instance, he put his faith in Billy Gilmour (18), Marc Guehi (19), Reece James (19), and Hudson-Odoi (18). While most seemed to find their feet under Chelsea still, Hudson-Odoi stood out from the crowd with his brilliant performance. This is one footballer you need to keep your eye on going forward.