Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward hyped up Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, who subsequently got the better of him.
We haven’t seen Marcus Rashford at his best this season, and at times, it feels like we haven’t even seen him play at 50% of his previous level.
Part of it is the player’s fault. He is currently under harsh criticism from disgruntled fans and loud pundits.
But there’s another side to it. After last season, rival players know they must up their game when facing him.
Consider Joel Ward, who played for Crystal Palace this past weekend.
Before the game, Ward praised Rashford.
Joel Ward expressed his enthusiasm to face Rashford in an interview with Crystal Palace’s website prior to kickoff.
“I think Marcus has set the stage alight for a number of years and he’s experienced now,” he stated. He’s played against a wide range of players in the Premier League and has proven his worth all over the world.
“I believe it’s a conflict you enjoy. You want to go up against the best of the best, and he clearly qualifies with his technical skill, speed, athleticism, and menace – but we want to limit his opportunities.
“You set your benchmark against the best players in the world and the best clubs in the world.”
For years, Manchester United has struggled with opponents upping their game against us. Former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, on the other hand, always found a way to keep his players motivated and ensure they were more hungry than their opponents.
Is Rashford coming into the game with the same zeal?
This begs the issue of whether Marcus Rashford is approaching games with the same resolve to particularly one-up his opponent, rather than simply going out there and trusting his own abilities.
Self-assurance is wonderful, but it can also be a player’s undoing if they don’t have the same hunger week after week.
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