PSG's interest in Marcus Rashford shows Manchester United that things can get worse - The Warm-Up

FRIDAY'S BIG STORIES Escapism Ad Last season, Manchester United had many bigger problems than the struggles of Marcus Rashford. But they didn't have many that felt quite so miserable or so symbolic. A kid from the academy, coming off consecutive 20-goal seasons, and at times he looked like he was trying to play in hiking boots.

TransfersRashford happy to stay at United despite PSG talks — Paper Round11 HOURS AGO Which is to say, as soon as the rumour that PSG were after Marcus Rashford emerged, the Warm-Up's first thoughts were: «Yes, Marcus! Get out. Get away. Get somewhere you can finally relax.» (Then our second thought was something like, er, well, maybe PSG isn't the most relaxing football club in the entire world.

But Paris is nice!) Over last season, the riddle of Rashford's form was the riddle of United. It's not just the fact that him playing badly meant fewer goals, which meant fewer points, which was overall a bad thing for the club as a whole. It's good when attackers are good.

More insight next week. Rather, it was the obvious emptiness about his game: no form, no confidence, no sense that he could see a way back to his best, or even his really quite respectable average. It was the pervading sense that this is what Manchester United do, now.

As an organisation. As a way of being. The club is a state of affairs that comes between players and their talent and prevents them from making the most of it.

This is why the relentless focus on transfers at United sort of misses the point. There are weak spots in the team, of course, but more important is the fact that nobody in United red is playing up to their own level. Well-run clubs, like the pale blue one across town or the red one just down the road, do