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Marcus Rashford believes Manchester United are “capable of winning great trophies” but admits there is still room for improvement after their disappointing exit from the Champions League.
United have won just three major trophies since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013: the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League with former coaches Louis van Gaal and José Mourinho.
The last of those triumphs was in 2017 and, while current manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer guided United to the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Europa League semi-finals last season, as well as a third place finish in the Premier League, the club Wait for the cutlery to continue.
However, despite an inconsistent start to this campaign, including a disappointing group stage outing in the Champions League, United are now unbeaten in six Premier League games and could close the gap with leaders Liverpool a two points if you win your games in hand.
Their next game will see them rekindle their rivalry with Leeds United at Old Trafford on Sunday, live on Sky sports, and Rashford feels that Solskjaer’s team is now starting to show signs that they might soon be competing for top honors once again.
“I think the team that we have now is capable of winning great trophies,” Rashford told the UTD Podcast.
“I feel like we’re close, but we’re not quite there. We just have to give that final push to be a team that can win trophies and fight for everything.”
“In the big games, we go head to head with any team and we know we can do it. We are confident on the pitch that we can beat them, be it Liverpool, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain. Against the big teams we show that we can go. face to face and give them a game, the players know it, the coach knows it.
“We are so close to that when you win trophies. But for me, the sooner we get there the better. There is nothing greater than winning the Premier League or the Champions League, that’s the dream.”
“The fact that they eliminated us from the Champions League obviously hurts. But we cannot change it now. It has happened and the only way to respond is by winning the next game.”
Rashford Praises Man Utd Academy
Rashford is Manchester United’s top scorer this season with 12 goals in all competitions. Since he made his debut in February 2016, he has found the network 79 times in 234 appearances.
The 23-year-old credits the club’s academy system for his meteoric rise and praised his former coaches for helping him get into the first team.
“I’m going back to the beginning here, but Eamon Mulvey, Tony Whelan, Dave Bushell, without those guys I would never have made it through, it was just impossible,” Rashford said.
“There were a few times when I would miss training because my mother had worked late and my brothers were working, my sisters had babies and there was no way I would get there.
“I remember missing training a couple of times and I used to sit at home crying. I always stopped before she (her mother) came home. She used to get home at the same time. But one time she was early. And she was there. She caught me crying in the front room, and that’s when I told her and she was the one who told United, ‘We’re going to need some kind of help’, for me to get there.
“They are the people who got me drivers. They made it possible for me to train. When I was a kid, that was all I wanted. This was about eight or nine years old.
“So, [without that support] I wouldn’t even have gotten into the situation of moving to digs and stuff. I wouldn’t have been there. I would have been doing something else.
“United always says when you’re growing up, ‘Express yourself on the pitch’. They are the ones who taught me that. I think that’s why we have so many young people who pass because without knowing it, they are ready to play. It is a merit of United and the system.” .
You can listen to the rest of the interview from Monday night by searching for UTD Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. You can find past episodes and exclusive video clips of them being recorded on the official Manchester United website and app.
Launch-to-post preview: why Leeds could cause problems for Manchester United
This week in the Pitch to Post Preview PodcastPeter Smith is joined by Sky Sports News reporter Alan Myers and Sky Sports expert Alan Smith to discuss Carlo Ancelotti and Mikel Arteta’s work at Everton and Arsenal, ahead of their one-year anniversary. Who has done a better job?
We also heard from SSN reporter Paul Gilmour on whether Tottenham will rebound from a frustrating week against Leicester, and the latest on Gareth Bale’s fitness and Dele Alli’s future.
And Sky Sports screenwriter Nick Wright assesses Man Utd’s 3-2 win at Sheffield United and explains why Leeds could upset Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team at Old Trafford …
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