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Premier League: Why Manchester United star Marcus Rushford does not need to be compared to Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham

Marcus Rushford continues to be criticized despite his improving form and the Man United has the perfect opportunity to silence his doubters. When Tammy Abraham scored Chelsea’s opener against Crystal Palace last weekend the comparisons started again. Sports enthusiasts from around the world can purchase Premier League Tickets online to enjoy its stunning performances.

It is taken Abraham 21 fewer games to reach Marcus Rushford’s best-ever Premier League goal-scoring record of 10 goals. Another statistic to beat the Manchester United attacker with:

You can see to an extent why it is done. Similar in age both England internationals and play in the same position but what’s the point of it? For a shareable graphic on social media or is it more to prove the point that Abraham is the better footballer? Because at times it seems a comparison to make out how poor Rushford is.

The same happened back in 2016 when Rushford was consistently compared with Kelechi Iheanacho who was at Manchester City at the time. Their goals per minute ratio were compared with the United forward being blasted for scoring eight in 1083 minutes of football while Iheanacho had 14 in 826 minutes.

You don’t hear of similar comparisons now with Iheanacho only scoring once in 30 appearances in the league last season.

Rushford’s had the burden of scrutiny and comparison since he was handed his debut by Louis van Gaal in 2016 and in that way is hardly surprising he is yet to live up to the high expectations thrust upon him.

This season is already set to be his best yet. He is averaging a goal every other game in the year and his total tally for the season so far is nine just four off his entire number in all competitions during the last campaign.

And he has managed it whilst not playing well for a chunk of the season. The England international went through a poor patch of form while Anthony Martial was sidelined for eight weeks with an injury and was widely and rightly criticized.

“The important thing is what I know. I know what I want to become and what I will become if I keep my mind on it,” Rushford said in response to criticism from Michael Owen.

And he had a similar reply when asked if he would be dwelling on the chances he missed in the Europa League clash against Partisan last week.

There were a couple of times where I was half a yard too forward so it was a game of fine margins but we are happy with the three goals, he said. For me, it is about recognizing it and trying to correct it in the next game but I would not let it stay on my mind for too long.

Some of the criticism directed towards the 22-year-old has been just. He does need to improve and missing open goals from six yards out like he did against Brighton on Sunday is not going to help his case but he is shown he has developed over the years.

Martial’s return should give Rushford the push he needs to take it on to the next level and their link-up play along with Daniel James has the potential to cause headaches for all the defenders in the league.

With Romelu Lukaku gone and the club deciding not to buy a replacement Rushford can finally silence his critics by proving he has what it takes to be United’s top goal scorer.

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Three realistic contenders to replace Unai Emery at Arsenal

Heading into the last international break of the year, Arsenal finds themselves in the sixth position. They’re ahead of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur and only Sheffield United separate them from Manchester City.

However, Unai Emery’s side is just four points ahead of 16th placed West Ham United. Football devotees from around the world can purchase Premier League Tickets online to enjoy its fabulous actions.

The loss to Leicester City on Saturday means the Gunners find themselves eight points off the Champions League positions. With a tricky December on the horizon, including a run that sees them play Manchester City, Everton, Man United, and Chelsea in the space of two weeks, their season could well be over before the turn of the year unless things change.

Arsenal got off to a good start to the campaign having taken maximum points from their opening two matches. However, since then, Emery’s side has claimed just 11 from the 30 on offer and are currently without a win in four having lost to Leicester and Sheffield United while only managing to draw in games against Crystal Palace and Wolves. 

Patience was the buzzword at the Emirates last season with fans wanting to give Emery an opportunity to put his stamp on the team in the post-Arsène Wenger world. A 22-game unbeaten run helped the former Paris Saint-Germain manager get fans onside. 

Some even compared his first season in charge with that of Jurgen Klopp’s at Liverpool. For a period of time, it looked like Arsenal had found their groove again.

But then with Champions League Football within touching distance, the Gunners stalled at the worst possible time. A spell of four defeats in five, followed by a draw with Brighton, meant Emery’s side missed out on a top-four finish. Their miserable end to the season was compounded with a 4-1 loss to Chelsea in the Europa League final. 

The credit Emery banked early on in his reign was quickly used up and now fans are already eying up possible replacements for the one-time Sevilla tactician. 

Here, we take a look at three possible contenders to take over from Emery if the Arsenal board decides enough is enough. It’s one thing if results aren’t going your way, it’s much worse if the team is lacking an identity and failing to perform. The latter is a problem for the Gunners right now.

An expensively assembled squad into the second year of a manager shouldn’t look as rudderless as it does right now.

Mikel Arteta

The man many expected to succeed Wenger. It was all but confirmed until a last-minute Emery approach changed things. Still, assistant manager at Manchester City, a handful of the media has touted the Spaniard as the successor to Pep Guardiola.

However, the Citizens have recently given former Arsenal left-back Giovani van Bronkhorst a job and reports suggest the plan is for him to take the helm of NYCFC before eventually replacing Guardiola at the Etihad.

Having learned from one of the best in the world, he may feel he needs to branch out and distance himself from the City umbrella. The Emirates would be the perfect platform for him.

Arteta knows the club. He knows the fans and while he lacks experience, he does know what sort of football they expect and how to go about delivering that. It’s a gamble but could be one worth taking if the Gunners want to become a fixture in the top four once again.

Brendan Rodgers

Flying high with the Foxes right now, a move to Arsenal could be viewed as a step down in the current climate. But Rodgers is a man with an ego not necessarily a bad thing – and rebuilding the Gunners, turning them into genuine title contenders, could be something that appeals to him.

Furthermore, the squad available plays into his strengths as a coach. There’s plenty to work with and he’s shown countless times in the past that he can get more out of players and sides.

In the Premier League, these small margins can make a big difference. Having the man-management skills to be able to eke out that extra bit from players is priceless.

It’s also worth remembering that Rodgers was the man who managed to fit Luis Suárez, Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling, and Philippe Coutinho into the same starting XI. He could so something special with Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Nicolas Pepe.

Eddie Howe

Howe is an unknown away from Bournemouth. A stint with Burnley he spent close to two years at Turf Moor is the only time he had away from the Cherries since becoming a manager in 2008.

He did a solid enough job with the Clarets, finishing mid-table, yet didn’t really impress. But with Bournemouth, it just works. Howe took the club from League One to the Premier League. Tipped by many to head straight back to the Championship, Howe’s side stunned the masses by retaining their English top-flight status.

Under his watch, the Cherries have developed into a mid-table side capable of causing an upset. Bournemouth has an identity and they have a style. If Arsenal wants an established brand of football, Howe should be a potential target.

This appointment wouldn’t be similar to when Liverpool hired Rodgers. At the time, he had one year’s worth of experience in the Premier League. Albeit a successful one but one that didn’t have the downs needed to help him develop as a manager. Howe, on the other hand, is into his fifth season as a Premier League boss.

He’s suffered the lows and the highs. He’s yet to win a trophy or Gatecrash the top six but that’s near impossible in the current climate. What he has done is take aside from the third division and turn them into a decent Premier League outfit who gives youth an opportunity.

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Premier League: United should not repeat mistakes of the past with Zaha pursuit

Since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013, Manchester United has constantly been seduced by big-name players who command extravagant transfer fees and exorbitant wages. And there’s been little end return in these investments. Sports enthusiasts from around the world can purchase Premier League Tickets online to enjoy its stunning performances.

Angel Di Maria lasted just one season after United paid £59.7million to Real Madrid for the Argentine. As did Radamel Falcao, who arrived at Old Trafford on a loan deal from Monaco which cost the Red Devils £6million plus the striker’s £265,000-a-week wage.

The £80million it cost to bring Paul Pogba back from Juventus has not yet been repaid by the French star. Romelu Lukaku meanwhile moved on to Inter this summer two years after he signed from Everton for £75million. And of course, let’s not forget Alexis Sanchez who the Red Devils are paying £300,000 a week to play for Inter this season.

This summer, however, United finally appeared to realize the error of their ways in the transfer market. Perhaps it was Ole Gunnar who has influence. Or maybe Ed Woodward had been burned once too often. But the club’s strategy seemed to shift.

No more megastars. Instead, the United signed undoubted potential in Daniel James and Aaron Wan Bissaka. Harry Maguire, who admittedly did not come at all cheap at £85million, also arrived from Leicester City.

All three were sensible, well-thought-out transfers. James and Wan-Bissaka filled problem positions. Maguire was the Centre-back to build a defense around. The Manchester club was back on track even if their final destination was well in the distance.

Then came a report in the national newspapers that United was interested in re-signing Wilfried Zaha and that his £70million price tag was not a deterrent. The club and the winger have history. Zaha was Ferguson’s final signing before his retirement but the move didn’t work out and he returned to Crystal Palace in 2014 ready to rebuild his career.

The 27-year-old, to his credit, has done so. He is regarded as one of the best players outside of the Premier League’s traditional top-six clubs and can win matches singlehandedly when in the mood. He was also courted by Arsenal in the summer and has been linked previously with moves to Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. So United being linked is certainly believable.

Yet Zaha is a player Manchester United don’t need and their supposed interest makes little sense. The primary reason for this is Marcus Rashford. The England international has often been played through the middle this season but with Anthony Martial back from injury, he is expected to move back out to the left flank.

Solskjær has got Martial to crowbar into the starting XI and it’s very likely he’d be used wide on the left. So, again, no space for Zaha. It’s a position the Palace man has been used in on several occasions this season. Well, at United that role has predominately been occupied by James, who has impressed since his move from Swansea City.

The one forward position that is open at United is the No.10 role. Andreas Pereira has filled it on several occasions this term, while Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata are also options. The Ivory Coast international has always done his best work with the ball at his feet 4.88 dribbles completed per 90 in the Premier League this season can only be bettered by three other attackers.

He needs space to operate in – as shown in the touch map above. Time to collect the ball, get up to speed and run at a defender. In the Centre of the pitch, he will simply not get that and his effectiveness would quickly be blunted.

There is no doubting Zaha’s talent: he has the quality to play for Manchester United. It’s just the club that doesn’t have a clear opening for the winger and, given he’d cost £70million, his signing would be a mistake, especially as there are other areas that need urgent surgery. It’s time United prove they have learned from their past mistakes once and for all.

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