Former Tottenham and Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood has warned Marcus Rashford that life at Barcelona will remain “difficult” unless he adapts, claiming the Manchester United loanee looks “bang average” compared with teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal.
Rashford, 26, joined Barca on loan at the start of the season and has produced two goals and five assists in nine appearances across all competitions. Despite leading the Catalan side for assists, Sherwood believes the England forward appears one-dimensional in Xavi’s system.
“When it goes out to the left to Marcus, he is one-dimensional. We know what Marcus is and he’s very effective when he does it,” Sherwood told newsmen.
“But when he doesn’t, the crowd think, ‘why don’t you give us the same as the genius on the other side [Yamal]?’ It’s harsh, but it’s a very difficult environment for him to play in.”
Rashford returned to Old Trafford briefly after a loan spell at Aston Villa last season before heading to Spain. Sherwood, however, insists that the 26-year-old must improve to meet the expectations at Camp Nou.
“Marcus Rashford will develop if he wants to and get better playing in this Barcelona side. He has to get better. At the moment, he looks bang average because the kid on the other side is so good,” Sherwood added.
Rashford’s form has nonetheless earned him a recall to Gareth Southgate’s England squad for their upcoming fixtures against Wales and Latvia.
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