Nicky Butt believes Ruben Amorim will have been left ruing Manchester United's decision to let Marcus Rashford leave after the forward's sparkling display for Barcelona against Newcastle. Rashford scored twice in the Champions League clash at St James' Park, sealing a 2-1 win for the La Liga side with a powerful header and a dipping strike from outside the box.
The former United midfielder told the BBC that Amorim might be thinking 'what have I done?' having seen Rashford shine in front of England boss Thomas Tuchel. 'I've let that go and Manchester United are obviously struggling,' Butt said. 'Players need to move on if it's not going well because you need to be loved and Marcus definitely needs an arm around him and needs to be loved. When he is, he showed what he can do tonight.'
Rashford, 27, has endured a difficult spell at United, where he was exiled from the first-team squad and spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa. He has now registered an assist and two goals in his last two appearances for Barcelona, including a key role in Sunday's 6-0 demolition of Valencia.
Butt added that England had forgotten about Rashford's talent during his recent struggles. 'He's shown tonight what a top, top player he is,' he said. 'He's shown tonight that he's a real, real top talent and he's back to the old Marcus. His goals and his work ethic.'
Former Chelsea winger Joe Cole also praised Rashford, telling TNT Sports that when he is at his best, he could get into any team in the world. United, meanwhile, continue to struggle for goals in their worst start to a season for 33 years, despite significant summer spending on their forward line.
