Marcus Rashford blames Man Utd’s instability for his struggles before Barcelona move

It’s consistency. Rashford has always had the talent, but he hasn’t always delivered it week in, week out.

He tends to follow a strong season with a quieter one and then bounce back again. That up-and-down form has long been a source of frustration for Manchester United fans, and apparently, the feeling was mutual.

Rashford recently spoke about it on ITV Football. He admitted he hasn’t been consistent enough but also pointed out that it’s hard to find stability in what he called an “inconsistent footballing environment.”

“Consistency is a massive part of it, but I feel like I’ve been in an inconsistent environment for a very, very long time,” said Rashford. “So it’s even more difficult to be consistent.”

“I need to bring that into my game and now I’m looking to do that. In order to be consistent you need consistent variables in your life.”

It’s no secret that Manchester United haven’t been the most stable club over the past decade, but Rashford’s comments turn the debate into more of a chicken-and-egg situation.

Marcus Rashford admits Manchester United had a point

Marcus Rashford landed his dream move to Barcelona in the summer transfer window, but it’s clear he still has some unfinished business with his time at Manchester United.

As a product of the academy and an early hope for young players like Kobbie Mainoo, Rashford never really looked comfortable carrying that weight week in, week out. It’s no surprise that he seemed to play with more freedom every time he moved away from Old Trafford, and now Barcelona are seeing the best of him.

He’s now pointed back at Manchester United as the reason for the biggest weakness in his game—one that could end up costing him a permanent stay at Barcelona.

Rashford calls out Manchester United after joining Barcelona

Rashford has always had the ability to be one of the top players in world football, but there’s been one issue holding him back: consistency. That was also why there was frustration from fans about his decision to extend his contract with United until 2028 before moving on loan to Barca.

Some Spanish reports have said Rashford needs to show this level over a full season if he wants Barça to make his move permanent. Consistency has long been an issue for him, as he’s often followed strong campaigns with disappointing ones and vice versa.

That inconsistency frustrated United supporters for years, but it seems Rashford feels the same way about them. Speaking with ITV Football (via YouTube, 19 February), Rashford accepted that consistency had been lacking in his career—but suggested that playing within an inconsistent environment made it harder to develop into a reliable performer.

The change was necessary because something wasn’t working. So, which came first? Were players and managers struggling because they weren’t performing? Or did constant changes stop anyone from ever finding their footing?

No matter how you look at it, shifting responsibility isn’t great when all he needed to do was take ownership of how things played out for him at Old Trafford.