‘He’s not a youngster anymore’: Alan Shearer slams Marcus Rashford for his positioning in 2-1 defeat by Brighton… with Man United striker having ‘extra training sessions’ under a club legend

Premier League icon Alan Shearer has criticized Marcus Rashford for his lack of positioning and movement during Manchester United’s 2-1 loss to Brighton on Saturday.

Rashford played 65 minutes at the AMEX Stadium but didn’t manage to take a single shot.

Alan Shearer was critical of Rashford during his analysis on Match of the Day on Saturday

This mirrored his performance in United’s season opener against Fulham, where despite playing the entire match, Rashford also failed to register a shot.

Reportedly, Rashford has been working on his game with club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, who joined United’s coaching staff in July. Van Nistelrooy, who netted 150 goals in 219 appearances for United between 2001 and 2006, has been focusing on enhancing Rashford’s awareness at the back post and his runs inside the box.

Marcus Rashford has made a disappointing start to his 2024-25 campaign with Man United

During his analysis on BBC Match of the Day, Alan Shearer criticized Marcus Rashford for being caught offside twice during Manchester United’s match against Brighton on Saturday.

Shearer, the former Newcastle and Blackburn striker, began by pointing out that United scored only 57 goals in the Premier League last season—fewer than any other team in the top half of the table.

Rashford has been hoping to put last season's struggles behind him after a poor campaign

He remarked, “Ruud van Nistelrooy has been brought in, and he’s going to have to work his magic somehow. I know they have [Rasmus] Hojlund out injured, but when he comes in, he’s going to have to make a big difference because, based on today’s performance and the game against Fulham, it’s been far from good enough.”

Former goal machine Ruud van Nistelrooy watched Saturday's game from the United dugout

Gary Lineker, who, like Shearer, was a prolific striker and former England captain, attempted to defend Rashford’s offside incidents. “The only thing I would say in Rashford’s defense is at least he is trying to make runs,” Lineker added.

Rashford and van Nistelrooy have reportedly been working together a lot on the training pitch

Shearer, however, countered: “Yeah, but he’s not a youngster anymore. He needs to understand his positioning. When you can see the whole pitch, there’s no excuse for being offside.”