Manchester United must address Marcus Rashford concern

Sometimes, great players can stand out in poor teams.

It's a statement that defies logic for those who shun the power of the individual, believing team sports are purely about the collective, but it applies to any sport — or any walk of life, in fact — not just football.

Few, at the start of the season, would have predicted that it could apply to Marcus Rashford and Manchester United. The 22-year-old had hitherto been a prodigious talent, a youngster who would one day spark into life.

But as former Manchester City player Micah Richards rightly noted while on punditry duty after Tuesday night's Manchester derby, there is now a growing chasm between Rashford and his United teammates — in more ways than one.

"I feel a little bit for Rashford," said Richards. "If Rashford was in Manchester City's team, he would get 30, 40 goals a season."

He went on to describe how Rashford looked increasingly isolated, especially during a chastening first half for United in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, the scoreline of which appeared to affect Rashford more than any other home player. There was barely even a celebration when the England striker tucked the ball beyond Claudio Bravo to make it 3-1 in the second half.

At this stage it's easy to trot out the usual cliché about the derby 'meaning more' to a Mancunian player and note how Rashford, Manc born and bred as supporters like to sing, has the United 'DNA'. Whether or not you subscribe to such clichés barely matters, because it's clearly the case that Rashford is standing head and shoulders above his United teammates at the moment.

Not just with his performances, either, although his 18 goals in all competitions suggest he may get close to that 30-goal mark that Richards mentioned if surrounded by elite teammates.

No, Rashford is proving himself to be a leader and deserved his chance to captain his boyhood club for the first time, an Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decision that many fans questioned before the game as David de Gea was also on the pitch.

He showed those leadership credentials not just by appearing completely broken by the derby defeat and grimly apologising while trudging off the turf. He then puffed his chest out and answered reporters' questions after the game, the only United player to bother stopping to accept responsibility for the loss. He quickly put messages out on Twitter and Instagram reflecting on a "bittersweet" night, "a proud moment for me and my family but the result hurts more," which was aptly put.

This is a player United must cherish, not isolate. A raw talent that has been honed and developed, but one that cannot be hung out to dry with such turgid team performances and a squad barely fit for purpose.

On the pitch it's clear that United don't have the midfield to serve Rashford's finishing. Off it, they don't have the characters like Rashford to stand tall and dig deep on difficult nights such as Tuesday.

Richards is one of a small number of homegrown City players to have played in the derby in recent years. Only Phil Foden represented the fabled City Football Academy in this most recent derby, whereas United had six homegrown products in the game.

Rashford is the standard bearer for that proud United tradition, but he's also a damn good footballer who deserves better. If United had a No.10 of Kevin de Bruyne's quality, Rashford probably would score more than 40 goals a season.

So while it will take time, transfers and money to solve those footballing problems, United must develop Rashford the leader and create the right environment for this homegrown talent to become a legend.