Jose Mourinho Must Make Marcus Rashford a Key Part of His Manchester United Plan

Marcus Rashford has shown a level of composure and ability in the first few months of his fledgling career that should mark him out for a vital role in Jose Mourinho's Manchester United.

He made his competitive international debut for England against Wales on 16 June, and unlike his European, Premier League or friendly international debut, he did not manage a goal. However, his performance, without making the telling difference to the eventual scoreline, was nonetheless remarkable.

It was remarkable precisely because he looked completely unruffled.

Michel Spingler/Associated Press

Consider the situation. He is 18 years old. The nation he plays for have been locked in a decades-long cycle of excessive expectation and underachievement. Every defeat—or draw against a side they are expected to beat—results in rain forests' worth of critical column inches.

England badly needed a win, and around him were plenty of players much more experienced than he displaying signs of nerves. Harry Kane is still a young man, but he has two seasons' worth of Premier League experience under his belt and looked overawed by the occasion—unable to play his natural game, snatching at chances.

But Rashford looked just fine with the whole thing. He trusted his own ability and played as he would play under any circumstances. To be able to do that under that amount of pressure is a truly remarkable feat. And while each new milestone is another chance to be impressed with this young man, it should no longer come as a surprise.

After all, playing his own game is what he did when he was suddenly called into the United first team against FC Midtjylland. It was what he did in his first Premier League game and his first Manchester derby and for the first two-thirds of normal time when he was the best player on the park in the FA Cup final.

Rio Ferdinand in the Times aptly described him as "the young and fearless Rashford."

Of course, some of this fearlessness might be the product of the naivety of youth. Jesse Lingard, interviewed by Ian Herbert of The Independent, said:

"

I am pretty much fearless, like the other young players as well that are coming into the squad now like Rashford and [Anthony] Martial. We just play with no fear and at the end of the day you are just playing football with your friends, pretty much, but obviously you still have to win the game…

"

Some of that fearlessness might ebb away, some of the caution that comes with growing up might creep into his game, but Mourinho is unlikely to have to worry about that for the next couple of years.

Rashford warrants a place as a first-team regular at United on the basis of his performances alone. On top of that, there is a significant public relations issue at stake. If Mourinho truly wants fans to buy into his reign, he will need to prove he is prepared to nurture young talent.

United's marketing men have made great hay out of the club's history of bringing through young players, but beyond any cynical component, there is a genuine connection between fans and those who have come through the club's ranks.

And, of course, bringing through youngsters breeds loyalty and togetherness.

In Leading, his book co-written with Michael Moritz (h/t the Mirror), Sir Alex Ferguson wrote:

"Youngsters can inject a fantastic spirit into an organisation and a youngster never forgets the person, or organisation, that gave them their first big chance.

"They will repay it with a loyalty that lasts a lifetime."

Along with Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Rashford is the perfect candidate for Mourinho to prove his willingness to work within the club's traditions because he is so obviously ready for the big time.

Daniel Harris, writing in the Guardian, said of Rashford's lightning-in-a-bottle start:

"

Of course, it will not always be like this, but the sheer breadth of his competency will support him when the initial rush slows. His remarkable speed and bizarre composure have been clear from the start, and since then he has revealed not just a football brain but a football soul, intellect and instinct in perfect harmony. He knows what to do and where to be; he makes things happen and twigs before others make them happen without him.

Millennial that he is, he can also do the fancy flicks and tricks that arouse the internet; mensch that he is, they are usually the best way of finding a team-mate; and we have yet to see his ability to shoot from outside the box, nor his capacity for improvement. As an article, he is far from finished; as a player, he is already complete.

"

That sheer breadth of competency puts Mourinho in a much easier position than he might be with a flakier youngster—someone of the inconsistency of Memphis Depay, for example. Deciding to back Rashford at this point is hardly a wild leap of faith—which, incidentally, it was for Louis van Gaal when he took the plunge and put the 18-year-old in the first-team squad.

Having said that, it will still require a degree of patience. As Harris wrote, it will not always be like this. Rashford's scoring rate will presumably slow down from its electric start. He scored an average of 0.5 goals per 90 minutes of Premier League football, from an average of 1.7 shots.

That means he scored with 29.4 per cent of his shots in last season's league campaign. Compare that with Harry Kane (16.66 per cent), Jamie Vardy (21.21 per cent) and Sergio Aguero (20 per cent) and it becomes clear that Rashford was either on an unsustainable hot streak or will go on to be one of the greatest footballers in history.

Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated Press

Given Lionel Messi averaged a goal with 17.3 per cent of his shots in La Liga last season, the former seems much more likely.

Of course, one of the key factors in his scoring percentage needing to hit unsustainable highs for his goalscoring to impress was how few shots United had under Van Gaal in general. Of the other players mentioned, Vardy averaged the fewest number of shots, and that was 3.3 per 90 minutes, very nearly twice as many as Rashford.

Under Mourinho, the young England international will almost certainly shoot more often. A less super-human scoring rate will suffice.

But even when his goalscoring dips, he will still have plenty going for him. His link-up play, "the fancy flicks and tricks" Harris speaks of, all of those will be reason to keep him in the side.

Mourinho needs to improve United's squad. It is abundantly clear it is not yet ready to compete at the elite level of European competition, the club's natural place in football's eco-system. But whoever he brings in needs to leave room for Rashford to grow.

Because, marketing speak aside, he really does represent United's best ideals. Ideals that have not always been adhered to by any means, but, nonetheless, they exist.

Rashford is young, talented, fearless, dynamic and attacking. That is all exactly what those who follow the Red Devils want their side to be.

Advanced data per WhoScored.com.