Alan Shearer Slams Marcus Rashford, Is The Striker On Borrowed Time At Man Utd?

Marcus Rashford has appeared under a negative spotlight this season for his displays in a Manchester United shirt, with strong criticism being aimed in his direction.

Fans and pundits have been particularly vocal in recent months about the forward's lack of willingness to work hard for the team and demonstrate acceptable effort levels. There have also been calls for him to be taken out of Manchester United's line-up and dropped from the England squad.

During Rashford's appearance for Manchester United against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday, he was at the centre of a furious rant from former England striker Alan Shearer, who was co-commentating on the match for BBC.

Shearer was not impressed with Rashford's reaction after he easily went down from a challenge in the first half, saying: "Come on Marcus, get up. Stop waving your arms around. You've got to do better."

The all-time top Premier League goal scorer continued and did not hold back in what he thought of the forward, saying: "I don't like his body language at times. He's trying to send a message out to the fans, it's not my fault. You as an individual have to take responsibility now and again for your actions on the pitch."

Rashford had the chance to answer his critics and win the game at the City Ground late on as Bruno Fernandes played him in but the Englishman lashed at his attempt, which went well wide of the target.

Luckily for Rashford, his miss was largely forgotten about as Casemiro popped up with an 89th-minute winner to give Erik ten Hag's side a 1-0 victory. Despite the win for Manchester United, Rashford's display remained a major point of discussion in the press and amongst fans.

Rashford's current state poses the question of whether or not he could soon lose his spot in ten Hag's team as the Dutchman is not getting enough goals or the necessary work rate out of the player. The forward's spot in the team has largely remained due to Manchester United's attacking players being wasteful in front of goal for most of the season.

Manchester United have big games coming up in March against Manchester City and Liverpool, so it will be intriguing to see whether ten Hag persists with Rashford in these matches as the team will likely spend large periods without the ball and chasing down their opponents.

Rashford has regularly received the backing of the Manchester United supporters even during poor spells, particularly due to being a product of the club's academy. However, that has changed this season with supporters in the ground and on social media showing frustration at the forward for not appearing completely committed on the pitch.

The player drew plenty of criticism in Manchester United's 2-1 win away at Luton Town recently as he was seen to be showing little intent in challenging opposition midfielder, Ross Barkley, as his team were trying to prevent a late equaliser.

The negative body language Rashford has displayed this season may have been somewhat forgiven if he was frequently delivering for his team and scoring goals at a high rate. This is not the case as the Englishman has scored just five goals this season, with his goal-scoring form way off from last season's levels that saw him net 30 goals for his club.

The lack of effort in games from Rashford suggests he may not be completely focused on Manchester United and is not enjoying himself on the pitch. The 26-year-old recently attracted attention off the pitch for partying in Belfast the night before a training session, which he subsequently failed to turn up for as he called in sick.

Whilst a move for Rashford away from Old Trafford would have been unthinkable in the past, it cannot be completely ruled out anymore as a fresh start may be beneficial for both player and club if his form continues to be below par.

Paris Saint Germain would be the most likely destination for the forward if he were to move on as the Ligue 1 club have a long-running interest in him and are likely to pursue attacking players this summer due to Kylian Mbappe seemingly heading to Real Madrid.