Marcus Rashford deserves a better reception from Manchester United fans, says Andy Cole, who called the reception from supporters over the weekend “disappointing” for the attacker.
The Red Devils were on the wrong end of a 3-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday at Old Trafford, leading to vocal unrest amongst the crowd after another faltering performance.
Rashford was one of the primary targets of disdain from the stands, with the 26-year-old’s struggles from last term spilling over into the new season, failing to find the net in three Premier League appearances.
For Cole, the icy reception is “a little bit surreal,” but the 1998-99 treble winner still believes the struggling player has an opportunity to win fans back onside this campaign.
“It’s disappointing," Cole told Betfred. "With Marcus being a boy from Manchester, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a local player have such a relationship with the fans.
"It’s a little bit surreal because the fans usually get behind one of their own and in general, they get behind the team.
"For them to focus on one individual is a bit disappointing to see and the only way Marcus can get through this situation is by winning the fans back.
"That’s going to be done via his performances, goals and doing what he did a couple of seasons ago.
“I’ve said this before, but nobody actually knows what’s going on with him. It could be something so personal that it’s impacting his football.
"I’m not going to sit here and say it could be X, Y and Z because in football you need to get back to basics and that’s what Marcus has to do.
"We’re only three games into the season and there’s still a hell of a lot of football still to be played yet.”
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