Marcus Rashford needs to make key Manchester United adjustment

Marcus Rashford was both a blessing and a curse for Manchester United in their defeat to Brighton at the weekend.

Depending on who you ask, he was either their chief creator or their chief waster of chances, as United were comfortably beaten at home by an impressive Brighton side. Rashford deserves huge credit for his contributions last season, but that can't make him immune to criticism, and there has certainly been plenty of that in the fallout from the weekend.

He reached a genuine world-class level as he carried United for large parts of the last campaign, but the real gauge of a world-class talent is someone who manages to maintain that excellence, if not improve upon it. It seemed obvious from his performance at the weekend that the 25-year-old is still adapting to United's recent changes and was guilty of trying to do it all alone on Saturday, something he often felt he had to do last season.

ALSO READ: Fans reaction to Hojlund decision gives Ten Hag a new problem

ALSO READ: United player ratings vs Brighton

While for much of his time under Erik ten Hag he has played as a solo artist in attack, he now needs to make the most of his supporting cast, particularly the presence of Rasmus Hojlund, who could become the new headline act himself. The Danish international caught the eye with his movement in the final third against Brighton, but struggled to get the supply into the box that could have seen him score on numerous occasions.

Indeed, one of the few times he got the ball from Rashford he did actually find the back of the net, only for the goal to be disallowed after a lengthy VAR check. What was even more frustrating for supporters, though, is that while Rashford did look lively in the match, he was guilty of