English football analyst Alan Shearer has shared his candid opinion on Marcus Rashford following the Manchester United forward’s goal against Southampton. Recently, Shearer, a former Newcastle United striker, had been critical of Rashford. However, after Rashford netted his first goal of the season in United’s 3-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday, Shearer stood by his previous comments, asserting they were justified.
Rashford, who scored the second goal at St. Mary’s, expressed his gratitude to United manager Erik ten Hag for his continued support. This goal marked Rashford’s first Premier League strike since March.
Despite Rashford’s recent goal, Shearer maintains that his earlier critique was appropriate. He had previously criticized Rashford following Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, a situation Ten Hag had dismissed as “stupid,” especially since he believed Rashford was wrongly judged offside during a United attack.
On BBC Match of the Day, Shearer defended his stance, stating, “I don’t think the criticism has been unfair. If Rashford plays like he did today, he will avoid such criticism. It was an excellent performance.”
When asked by host Gary Lineker whether Rashford receives more unjust criticism than his United teammates, Shearer responded that the scrutiny is due to the high standards Rashford has set, noting his impressive goal tally from the previous season. Shearer expressed hope that Rashford’s recent performance will become more consistent, emphasizing that when he plays well, he avoids criticism and meets the expectations set by his past achievements.
