Rashford 'accepts' he is not good enough to play for Man Utd, accuses Souness

Graeme Souness has accused Marcus Rashford of "quietly accepting" that he is not good enough for Manchester United.

Rashford recently admitted he is "ready for a new challenge" after being left out of United’s squad for their last two games against Manchester City and Tottenham.

Souness, however, believes Rashford’s time at Old Trafford is over, suggesting he cannot handle the pressures associated with playing for one of the world’s biggest clubs.

Writing in his Daily Mail column, Souness stated: "Marcus Rashford says he is ready for a new challenge and has proven he was not up for the first one thrown down to him of becoming a proper player at Manchester United.

"In ten seasons at United, he has scored over 20 goals on just three occasions. That's proof that he is not up to taking on the challenge or the responsibility of playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

"In his head, he is quietly accepting he has to go and play in a less challenging league. It will be interesting to see where he ends up because, as I said last week, I fear it will only be downhill for him from United."

Despite Souness’s criticism, United manager Ruben Amorim has reiterated his desire for Rashford to stay at Old Trafford and rediscover his best form.

"What I want is to take the best Marcus Rashford so I don't talk about the future; I just talk about the present," Amorim said.

"I want the best of each one of them, and that is the key point for me. I just want to win and to help the team be better.

"We are better with Marcus Rashford, that is simple, and we will try different things to push Marcus to the best levels he showed in the past. And that's all."

Souness doubled down on his stance, adding: "For me, it’s like he has put his hands up in the air and is saying he can’t deal with the expectation levels on his shoulders.

"He has failed at proving he is able to hold down a place in a team where you play cup finals every week."

Amorim countered by emphasizing Rashford’s value to the team.

He said: "Of course [I want him to stay], because this kind of club needs big talent, and he’s a big talent, so he just needs to perform at the highest level, and that is my focus. I just want to help Marcus. The others focus on their job.

"I was a player; we are a bit selfish, and they are focused on winning their place in the team.

"So, I don’t think he has an impact on the team. It’s the same situation as with all the others: if they train well, then I have to make a choice, and we will see."

As speculation about Rashford’s future continues, the divide between criticism from pundits and faith from his manager highlights the complexities of his situation at United.