Michael Owen thinks there's one thing Marcus Rashford will never do
givemesport.com
May 12, 2017 9:22 AM
Marcus Rashford.
Marcus Rashford has come into his own over the past few weeks. Since Zlatan Ibrahimovic was ruled out for the season back in March the teenager has become Manchester United's go-to guy.
This is the second time that Rashford has been thrust into the limelight, having initially become the club's main striker last term under Louis van Gaal.
Last season he hit eight goals in 18 appearances during his maiden campaign, and this time around he's hit a total of 11 goals in 50 appearances across all competitions.
Over the course of the season he has dipped in and out of the squad, but he has been crucial in United's quest to get to the final of the Europa League, scoring crucial goals against Anderlecht and Celta Vigo to help them on their way.
One of his main attributes is his pace to get in behind defences to unlock them, and though he clearly has an eye for goal, he's yet to show that he can be the prolific frontman that the club need.
At least that's what Michael Owen thinks. The BT Sports pundit knows a thing or two about breaking onto the scene as a young striker having done the same at Liverpool when he was a teenager.
During Owen's first full season as a professional back in 1997/98 he hit a stunning 23 goals in 44 appearances before going to the World Cup with England where he scored that famous goal against Argentina.
But despite the excitement over Rashford's emergence, Owen has questioned whether the 19-year-old has the necessary killer instinct to become United's main man.
Hitting 30 goals
"I think he needs to be more of a poacher if he is going to score plenty of goals a season," Owen said, speaking on BT Sport, per theMirror.
"I don’t know what Rashford is going to be actually? Can you see him scoring 30 goals a season if he played every game up front? I'm not sure I can.
"I'm sure he helps other people and stuff, but I'm not sure he is a cold-blooded (goalscorer). I'm just not sure he can score 30-odd goals in a season."
However, Owen did also confess to being impressed by Rashford and believes that his "fearless" nature will stand him on good stead when United meet Ajax in Stockholm on May 24.
"I do agree when you say about [him being] fearless. When you go out and have not failed at all, like he hasn’t - he’s motored through the youth ranks.
"He's then come into the first team, all of a sudden he scores two on his debut. And then he scores two against Arsenal in his next game. Straight away he knows and it’s like a duck to water: 'This game doesn’t scare me.'
"He has had a long season, he has played an awful lot of games - I think the most in the Manchester United squad, however it's not all been starts.
"So I am sure he has got the energy to have a really good game in the final."
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