Marcus Rashford continues to be on the receiving end of unjust criticism. After joining Aston Villa, the forward saw an increased run of form on the pitch. Although he objectively had a good loan spell, even while in B6 he was someone that other fan bases felt all too comfortable in criticizing and making fun of. Now at Barcelona, there are reports suggesting that his time is already wearing thin at the La Liga side.
Shared on X by Transfer News Live, Hansi Flick is supposedly already issuing a warning to the England international. This does not make sense, however. It is true that he has not produced a goal contribution as of yet while playing a little over 90 minutes. That number in itself should be immensely telling, though.
In three fixtures with Barcelona, Rashford has started once and was subbed off at the half. His other two appearances were as a substitute in the second half. There is not a reasonable manager or club that is going to be disappointed with a player's output through three matches, particularly when coming off the bench for two of the three encounters late on.
While it is true that everyone is expected to produce and help toward the winning effort, a club is also going to be reasonable and recognize that not all opportunities and playing time are created equal.
Giving a fair assessment for former Aston Villa player
It, therefore, does not make any sense for him to already be under duress at Barcelona. Heading in, it was always known that the talent at Barca would make it difficult for Rashford to see regular playing time, let alone be among the top producers in La Liga.
Expectations of what success looks like for the former Villa man have to be changed based on the reality of his current situation. It does open the door for him to potentially recognize what he would have at Villa and could help to usher an eventual long-term move to B6.