Marcus Rashford didn’t exactly sugarcoat his feelings about Manchester United. Fresh off a loan move to Barcelona in the latest transfer window, the 27-year-old forward said the English side has turned into a complete mess, pointing to poor direction from the top and too many changes in the dugout over the last few years. Speaking on “The Rest is Football” podcast, the former United star was straight to the point when calling out the lack of any real plan behind the much-talked-about “transition” phase the club claims to be in.
“People say we’ve been in transition for years, but to be in transition you have to start the transition, you have to put a plan together and follow it. The transition itself hasn’t even started. This is where I talk about being realistic about your situation. We’ve had so many different managers, ideas, and strategies to win that we’ve ended up in no man’s land,” Rashford said.
The remarks didn’t just show frustration. They hit on something that’s been bothering plenty of supporters and pundits: ever since Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013, United’s been struggling to pin down a clear identity.
From Ferguson to the instability that followed
For more than twenty years, Alex Ferguson was the foundation holding Manchester United together. He wasn’t just a coach — he built principles, cemented a culture, and shaped entire generations. Rashford remembered that time with both admiration and criticism. “When Ferguson was in charge, there weren’t just principles for the first team, but for the whole academy. Everyone would understand the principles of playing the Manchester United way. Any team that’s been successful over time has principles that require any coach or player coming in to align with or contribute to them.”
Since the Scot retired, United’s burned through seven permanent managers: David Moyes, Ryan Giggs, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag, and Ruben Amorim. That kind of turnover makes it almost impossible to stick to a long-term project. As Rashford pointed out, it forces players to constantly adjust to new systems and new ideas — something he believes drains the squad and leaves it disoriented.
Trophies that cover the cracks
It’s not like United’s gone completely barren. Over the past seven years, they’ve picked up a Carabao Cup and an FA Cup, reached the finals of both competitions at other times, made two Europa League finals, and appeared in the UEFA Super Cup. Still, Rashford sees those wins as exceptions born out of individual brilliance rather than the result of a well-executed plan.
“Sometimes I feel like United was hungry to win, so we’d always try to adapt and sign players that fit the system. But that was a reaction. If your direction is always changing, you can’t expect to win the league. You might win a couple of cups, but that’s because you’ve got a good manager, good players, and match-winners in your team,” he said. His view feeds into a long-standing criticism — that the club’s been reacting to problems instead of building something sustainable.
The Barcelona loan and the Amorim split
In July, Rashford joined Barcelona on loan until the end of the 2025/26 season, with a €30 million option to buy. The move came not long after he’d returned to United, the club where he’d come through the academy, following a season on loan at Aston Villa.
His exit wasn’t just about tactics. Rashford had fallen out of Ruben Amorim’s plans, and their relationship wasn’t exactly smooth. He wasn’t the only one shown the door, either — a dozen players left in the same period, including Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia, and Jadon Sancho.
Meanwhile, rivals like Manchester City and Liverpool have locked in their playing styles and built steady foundations. United, on the other hand, seems stuck in a loop of change that gets harder to break each time. For Rashford, moving to Barcelona isn’t just about a fresh start — it’s about joining a setup with a clear vision and a defined way of playing. At the same time, his words sound like a message to those still at Old Trafford: without alignment and a solid plan, there’s little hope for consistent success.