As Gareth Southgate peered beneath the peak of his cloth cap and towards the Old Trafford pitch on Tuesday, he must have been bemused by the number ten in a red jersey.
Was it really the young player emblematic of English football’s brave new era? Was it really the electrifying 20-year-old forward who has scored three goals in his last four England appearances — and could have had more?
Was it really the dazzling talent who plays with a smile on his face when the Three Lions are on his chest?
Who was that number ten with a solitary assist and a solitary goal to his name in six Premier League and three Champions League appearances for Manchester United this campaign?
Who was that number ten with a frequent scowl, playing as an auxiliary full-back? Who was that number ten having little influence on a football match?
Yes, yes and yes.
Marcus Rashford, Marcus Rashford and Marcus Rashford.
Of the many indictments of Jose Mourinho’s current regime at Old Trafford, one of the most damning is that Rashford, a special footballer, appears to enjoy playing for his country more than for his club right now.
And considering their fraught relationship with the England national team, that must be a bitter pill to swallow for United supporters.
Scroll back through Rashford’s social media posts since the start of the season and the majority are about his time on national duty.
They include one of him clasping hands with Southgate: “Congrats on the new contract boss #Three Lions.”
In his last year’s Twitter output, Rashford has paid tribute to Southgate twice and spoken affectionately about the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Bobby Charlton and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mourinho has not had a mention.
Now, I know that is not unusual.
I have been writing about sport in newspapers for a long time and have never mentioned my day-to-day boss once.
Mourinho’s and Rashford’s relationship is a strictly working one, yet the body language between the two is terrible.
Although Rashford is getting a lot of game-time under Mourinho, their match looks as ill-fitting as Romelu Lukaku’s shorts.
Rashford should be as potent a weapon for United as he is becoming for England — the pass he played for Anthony Martial’s go-ahead goal against Chelsea last Saturday was an example of his instinctive excellence. Yet you get the feeling he is only ever a step-over away from his next Mourinho rollocking.
The fearlessness he exudes under Southgate is missing under Mourinho.
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A thought occurred when noticing Southgate in the Old Trafford directors’ box for the Juventus game.
As absurd as it may seem, considering his track record as a club manager, Southgate would not be the worst successor to Mourinho when it all, inevitably, implodes conclusively.
There is little chance United would even consider Southgate and, for the moment, they appear to be sticking with the retrogressive Mourinho. He remains box office, so count the dollars and take being schooled by Juve on the chin.
But Rashford should not take it.
His dynamism, his directness, his drive, his delicious talent, are being deadened by a dullard of a manager.
If Mourinho stays, Rashford the player would be best out of Old Trafford.
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