Manchester United legend-turned-pundit Paul Scholes believes Marcus Rashford is trying too hard and needs to calm himself down to revive his scoring form.
The England star has struggled to nail down a starting spot this month with the likes of Anthony Elanga and Jesse Lingard getting the nod over him on the right wing.
He was handed the chance to prove himself against Atletico Madrid last night, but it was another frustrating performance. He completed just 71 percent of his passes.
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old failed to complete a single cross while he was guilty of losing possession on 13 occasions before being substituted in the 75th minute.
Elanga, who came in his place, made an instant impact with the equaliser in the 80th minute. The Swede should now nail down a starting role under manager Ralf Rangnick.
Speaking after the game, Scholes was not overly critical over Rashford’s performance, considering he did win an impressive eight ground and aerial duels against Diego Simeone’s side.
However, the former United star feels he is trying to hard to prove himself, looking to produce something magical. Scholes believes Rashford needs guidance from someone on the pitch.
He told BT Sport via Metro: “He looks too anxious for me, he looks like he is trying almost too hard.”
“Every time the ball comes to him he feels like he’s got to do produce something magical. That’s probably the worst thing you can do.
“He’s just got to calm himself down, work himself into the game and his form, eventually, will come back.
“I don’t think he needs video clips [of his best performances], he needs somebody on the pitch to tell him.”
Rashford only returned to first-team action in October after a surgery for a nagging shoulder problem. He immediately impressed with three goals in four games.
His form has since been inconsistent. The club graduate scored a couple of goals off the bench last month including a late dramatic winner against West Ham United.
However, he has not been able to replicate the same showing when picked from the starting line-up. With Elanga flourishing at the moment, Rashford could drop to the bench.
This may not be something bad for him, considering he has been more successful this way. He has scored all four league goals this term while making cameo appearances.
