INEOS slammed for Marcus Rashford treatment, ex-Liverpool defender claims he’s Man United’s “scapegoat”

One former Liverpool defender has come to the defence of Marcus Rashford, slamming INEOS for their treatment of the Manchester United forward in the last few weeks.

Marcus Rashford is expected to leave Manchester United in 2025 after the 27-year-old revealed in a headline-grabbing interview that he is ready to seek a new challenge.

A standout performer with 30 goals during the 2022/23 season under Erik ten Hag, Rashford has since struggled to maintain his form. Under Rúben Amorim, he has fallen down the pecking order, with Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes emerging as preferred options in the attacking setup.

Rashford’s association with United spans nearly two decades, having risen through the academy ranks to make an unforgettable first-team debut at 18. He burst onto the scene with two goals against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League, followed by a brace against Arsenal in his Premier League debut.

Reports suggest Manchester United are now open to offers of around £40 million, making Rashford’s departure likely as he prepares to embark on a new chapter in his career.

INEOS slammed for their treatment of Rashford

While many feel that Rashford should be to blame for the current situation as his form has dropped off dramatically in the last 18 months, former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock has launched a staunch defence of the 27-year-old.

Warnock explained that he feels Rashford’s recent omissions from the matchday squads are part of a larger ploy from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS leadership delegation to get one of the club’s highest earners off the wage books.

Rashford is estimated to earn around £350,000 a week at United after signing a new deal in 2023.

“What we’ve seen behind the scenes is there’s been a lot of cost cutting, but what we also know is is he’s potentially their biggest earner,” Warnock told Sky Sports.

“Now is that the ownership coming in going ‘absolutely not – we’re going to set a wage structure and we’re going to make sure that we bring that down. He’s the first one that’s got to go or we’re going to have to do something about it’.

“So how do you do that? You frustrate a player, you make life difficult for him. I’ve been in that situation where someone’s come in and gone, ‘you’re not a player for me. So what I’m going to do is I’m going to make life hell for you.

“I’m going to make it really embarrassing for you. I’m going to change the way we do everything. You’re training, I’m going to leave you out of squads and I’m going to make it so you train all the week, but then you get no reward at the end of it and make things difficult for you’.

“I get that sense at the moment that he’s in that sort of that place at the moment where he’s almost being forced and being made the scapegoat.”

Continuing, Warnock explained that although United fans may disagree and claim that it’s down to Rashford’s poor work rate and performances, he argues that improvements in these areas only improve if a player feels wanted.

“Now a lot of Man United fans will probably watch this and go that’s not true,” he said. “They’ll say his work rate’s not there but work rate comes from feeling wanted, feeling like you’re important, feeling like you can contribute as well.

“It looks now again like there’s a breakdown. We said it was with Ten Hag but it feels like this is bigger and it almost feels like it’s from the club and there’s something along them lines as well because if I’m a manager walking into the changing room I’m thinking I want him in my team. I want him firing on all cylinders.

“You have to rewind to two years ago when United went through that purple patch. Why did they go through that purple patch? Single-handedly, him, he was unplayable at times and then he was just suddenly it was like a little bit of a falling out and your confidence goes and you’re made to look like the scapegoat.”

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