Benni McCarthy’s 2006/07 Premier League season at Blackburn, his first in England, still tallies as being numerically better than the peak of Marcus Rashford’s powers. For a player with over 200 career goals in more than 500 appearances, it may just explain a lot.
The South African wasn’t a glitzy player but he had a proven record in Holland, Spain and then Portugal before arriving at Ewood Park. Before long it became apparent just why.
McCarthy scored 18 times and was booked in eight matches. He was a proper pest and an effective one at that. He only went more than three matches without a goal once – a run that extended to five – but otherwise remained consistent. He scored in wins, losses, draws, and only once did he get a brace.
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There was no ‘stat-padding’ here, just a goalscorer who did his job well. Didier Drogba was the sole player to get more than McCarthy that year – ending with 20. Cristiano Ronaldo was about to truly explode and hit 17. Wayne Rooney managed 14.
So when McCarthy was appointed as a specific coach for the forwards at Manchester United in 2022, there was method to a move that raised more questions than answers in Erik ten Hag’s first summer. The fact that McCarthy only managed 19 goals in his next three seasons (84 games) tallies more with his age and injuries than lack of powers or prestige. It isn’t a reason to doubt what he could bring to a different, non-playing role.
It didn’t take long for McCarthy to make an impact back on British soil either. By Christmas 2023, Rashford was doing his best McCarthy impression. Now, Rashford had previously hit 17 goals in a league season, coming two years earlier, and got 21 direct contributions the year before as well. Coming off the back of just four in 25 matches though, he wasn’t the player previously attracting interest from top clubs across Europe.
McCarthy came in and Rashford found his mojo and some form. In February alone he surpassed the disappointing output from 2021/22, and was at 14 goals before an injury slowed things down in the final months of the season. Often used as a winger still, rather than a striker, he was a key part in Ten Hag’s third-place finish.
Goals in the Europa League and domestic cups helped him reach 30 for the season. That was the last of what is now looking to be ‘prime Rashford’ that Old Trafford has seen.
Compared to 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 appearances, he has 12 and eight in 54 since, spanning the entirety of 2023/24 plus the start of this campaign. McCarthy left just over 12 months ago in search of a position as head coach himself.
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What is clear from his time at United is that, although correlation-based evidence, there was a big improvement in Rashford’s displays. The issue is that even then it was only for half the time. Maybe the loss of someone who had an undoubted positive effect hadn’t truly been considered though.
McCarthy is back in the news during the international break after suggesting that Rashford didn’t have enough pushback from those at United whilst he was involved at the club. “Rashford is special – he’s a special human being,” McCarthy told South African outlet SuperSport. “He’s pure-hearted and he’s Man United through and through.
“He was “Marcus” to me. I’m straight to the point and I think he respected that instead of me sweet-talking him for other reasons. I was just a straight shooter and I think he probably didn’t have enough people in his life who are straight with him because everyone tells him what he wants to hear because of who he is.
“I was just normal and I think he appreciated that so any kind of advice he would come to me – advice on anything. We still message each other.”
Rashford has been criticised for having his head in the clouds previously. Be it for his perceived laziness on the pitch, his priorities away from football, or indeed the bumper new contract he signed. As someone from a typically tough South African background, McCarthy is not the sort to mince words or offer preferential treatment,
That may have been just what Rashford needed. The fact that their relationship continues is a sign of that. But at the same time, the absence of McCarthy, and a figure at United who will cut through to Rashford in a way that very few have so publicly, is possibly being felt.
We know, after all, that Rashford was a fan of McCarthy from the off. “I think he has done a good job,” the now 26-year-old said in 2022. “It’s always good for us to have a particular coach that concentrates on us as a forwards group.
“We have worked more as a team going forward which has led us to creating more chances and scoring more goals. So, It’s still early days and Benni will tell you himself his aspirations are much bigger than what we’ve done so far. He keeps on pushing us, keeps to try and get us to improve.”
On a personal level there was another layer as well. “Benni has been great with me. Like I said before, with all the forward lads and you have to remember that Benni is part of a full coaching system so everyone plays their roles, so Benni is actually on top of what we need.
“Yes, his relationship with me is very good. We speak a lot, we are always analysing games and showing me ways to improve. You know, small things that can help me make more chances, more goals, maybe create space for other players as well. We are doing a lot of work.”
United are now in a time of yet more turmoil. Rashford is out of form, out of sorts, out of confidence, and seemingly out of support. Ten Hag has bigger issues to worry about, and from the outside, the sounding block of McCarthy has gone.
There are others who Rashford is close with at the club, but it is hard to escape that his best results came with a rugged South African next to him. The exit of McCarthy wasn’t one mourned massively, yet the end result might just have been bigger than expected.
