Aston Villa told three-step plan to make Marcus Rashford a world-beater again

A respected journalist has detailed the three things Aston Villa and Unai Emery must do to turn Marcus Rashford into the world-beater he once was for Manchester United.

Rashford’s career peaked in the 2022/23 campaign when bagging a career-high 30 goals and providing nine assists  across all competitions. The 27-year-old was a lethal option from out on the left, though it’s been all downhill since.

Amid an ongoing spat with Ruben Amorim, Rashford left for pastures new in the winter window when joining Aston Villa on loan. The agreement contains an option to buy worth £40m.

Rashford made his debut for Villa in their FA Cup fourth round victory over Tottenham on Sunday. The forward received a hero’s welcome at Villa Park and his first 30 minutes in a Villa shirt were wholly encouraging.

But to ensure Rashford’s spell hits the heights, journalist Henry Winter has outlined three things Emery and Villa must do.

Writing in his Substack column, Winter claimed Rashford must be deployed on the left side of the attack and not as the central striker.

Furthermore, Winter claimed playing the attack-minded and overlapping Lucas Digne at left-back will increase Rashford’s effectiveness when cutting inside.

Selecting Ollie Watkins up front – and not new signing Donyell Malen, for example – was also cited as another way to get the best out of Rashford.

‘That has to be the approach Marcus Rashford takes to this wonderful opportunity handed him by Unai Emery at Aston Villa,’ wrote Winter.

‘Rashford seized the 30 minutes (including injury time) when coming off the bench against Tottenham Hotspur.

‘He looked fitter than reported. He was heavily involved, pressing and passing. He was a threat, and will be even more so when Ollie Watkins is fit and Rashford can attack more off the left.

‘Lucas Digne’s love of getting forward from left-back will also help Rashford, who is far more effective playing higher up the field, rather than building from deep.

‘Rashford is also at his best when feeling surrounded by support. It’s not about proving Manchester United wrong (and let’s remember that this was a situation that Ruben Amorim inherited and a parting was best for all parties). It’s about Rashford doing justice to his undoubted talent.

‘Emery is demanding and Rashford has to ensure yesterday’s cameo is sustained. Villa fans have given him the ecstatic welcome, Emery has given him the platform, and now it’s down to Rashford.’

Aston Villa star ‘furious’ at Marcus Rashford

According to The Daily Mail, Rashford’s arrival has gone down like a lead balloon with one Villa star.

Villa recently registered their squad for the knockout stages of the Champions League. Clubs can only add a maximum of three winter window signings to their squads.

Emery elected to include Rashford as well as fellow new recruits Axel Disasi and Marco Asensio. That left Malen and another new boy, Andres Garcia, as the odd men out.

The suggestion in the piece is had Rashford not been signed, Malen would have been included. And per the report, Malen’s snub has not been well-received by the Dutch forward.

Malen – who cost roughly £21m when signed from Borussia Dortmund last month – arrived with an expectation he’d feature prominently in Villa’s UCL campaign.

That opportunity has now been handed to Rashford, with The Mail claiming Malen is ‘extremely unhappy’ with the turn of events.

The report went on to add: ‘Emery effectively admitted Malen was furious to be omitted.’

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