Hansi Flick's plan with Marcus Rashford
The English striker is making a name for himself at Barça thanks to the German coach's blind faith in him.
Newcastle / BarcelonaBarça haven't started the Champions League with an away win since September 14, 2005, with a 2-0 victory at Werder Bremen. Back then, Frank Rijkaard was the coach, and Lamine Yamal hadn't even been born. Two decades later, and thanks to Marcus Rashford, the Blaugrana have put an end to this poor record. The English striker made his debut for Barça in the Champions League and scored both goals in the win against Newcastle. "Things are going well. I'm learning a lot, it's obvious," he explained to the English press the day before the match. He said it like that. Making it clear that it's an "obvious" fact, as if he assumed there was no need to explain further, since everyone sees how Barça plays. "We're not used to playing against players who keep the ball like that. We've played against Chelsea, City, Arsenal... but it wasn't the same as against Barça," Anthony Gordon, the scorer of the home side's goal, explained, in admiration of the Blaugranas.
The Blaugranas dominated from the ball, with another performance from Pedri, while Rashford, eager to redeem himself, was responsible for changing the scoreboard. The local press had seen his team lose, but they were proud to see an Englishman playing for the team of the moment. And doing so in front of Thomas Tuchel, the England manager, who maintains his faith in him. And now even more so, because he's becoming a new player. "This way of playing is different. I'm enjoying it, and I think it's making me a better player," the 27-year-old commented. Rashford believes he can be reborn in Barcelona after some very tough years.
In 2021, he missed his penalty in the Euro 2021 final at Wembley against Italy, when it seemed that England would finally win a title. Manchester United sank like the Titanic, either missing out on Europe or being condemned to play in the Europa League. In fact, the last time he scored two goals in a match was against Omonia Nicosia of Cyprus three years ago. A much less glamorous match than the duel between Newcastle and Barça at Saint James's Park. "He's had a tough time in recent years, but I've always followed him. I've always liked him. When they told me we could sign him, I said yes. I sent him a message saying I wanted to work with him," explained Hansi Flick.
Hansi Flick, a key figure for Rashford
Flick, in fact, is key. He takes great care of the Englishman, with whom he's building a good relationship. Rashford is a hard worker and has accepted that he's on the bench many days, having already been one at Aston Villa under Unai Emery, where he played on loan for half of last season after clashing with Ruben Amorim, United's manager since November. Within the club, they explain that Flick is convinced that, with calmness, Rashford will raise his level of play and make a difference. If he has to be a substitute, he doesn't get upset. He waits for his moment and is learning how to fit into a new game for him. "Here we train differently. The speed of the ball is incredible, the quality of the players has surprised me," said the British striker a few weeks ago. "I want to fit into that style and grow as a player," added Rashford, who years ago was the great promise of English football. The youngster who signed huge advertising contracts, appeared on the front pages, and was supposed to be the new leader of Manchester United. But the magic was broken, and he encountered the dark side of football. An experience that has made him a harder worker, which pleases Flick, who cares for him.
The results began to show in Newcastle, with two impressive goals from a player who is slowly adapting to a new life. "It's an incredible experience. I've always been a Barça fan and I've watched them play since I was little. We want to win everything we can. In our heads, all we have to do is win everything. I'm very happy to be here; I'm very motivated and determined. The quality we have in the team excites me a lot; it's refreshing to play, refreshing to play." They chanted his name from afar and he smiled at them. "In training, he usually scores goals like that; he has great quality," said Joan Garcia, who celebrated Rashford's second goal by putting his hands on his head.
In Barcelona, Rashford is still living in a hotel for the moment, until he finds a place he likes more. After living in Manchester and Birmingham, he is falling in love with Barcelona, a completely different city. The attacker is the tenth footballer to have played for both United and Barça, after Mark Hughes, Laurent Blanc, Larsson, Jordi Cruyff, Gerard Piqué, Víctor Valdés, Zlatan Ibrahimovic Ibrahimović, Alexis Sánchez, and Memphis Depay. It's a new lease on life for Rashford, who wants to rise from the ashes in Catalonia. And he has the best ally in Hansi Flick.
