Michael Carrick has admitted that Marcus Rashford wasted too many opportunities during Manchester United’s frustrating 1–1 draw against Fulham, with the England international failing to make the most of several promising openings at Craven Cottage.
Manchester United travelled to London knowing that they desperately needed a positive result after a difficult run of matches. However, despite creating opportunities and having moments when they could have taken control of the contest, Carrick’s side were forced to settle for a point after another inconsistent performance.
Rashford was one of the players at the centre of attention throughout the match. The forward found himself in dangerous positions on several occasions and managed seven shots during the game, but he was unable to find the back of the net. Statistical data from the match records one big chance missed by Rashford, while he finished with two shots on target.
For Carrick, the performance highlighted one of the biggest problems currently facing Manchester United: the team is capable of creating opportunities but is not consistently ruthless enough when those opportunities arrive.
The first half at Craven Cottage was particularly frustrating for both sides. Rashford had opportunities to put United ahead, while Fulham also created chances of their own. By half-time, neither team had found the breakthrough, with the opening 45 minutes effectively becoming a contest dominated by missed opportunities. Contemporary match coverage specifically noted that Rashford and Fulham’s Gonzalo García could each have scored twice during the first half.
Carrick will therefore have been disappointed that his attacking players could not turn their opportunities into goals.
Rashford’s involvement was significant because United repeatedly looked for him in attacking areas. The forward was expected to provide pace, movement and a direct threat, particularly when United attempted to attack Fulham’s defensive line.
Instead, several promising moments ultimately came to nothing.
The issue was not necessarily a lack of involvement. Rashford was involved in the game and found himself around the penalty area, but the final action repeatedly let him down. Whether it was the finish, the final decision or the execution of the opportunity, United needed more from one of their most experienced attacking players.
That became even more frustrating because United were not completely overwhelmed during the first half. They had opportunities to establish a lead and potentially force Fulham to change their approach.
Instead, the score remained level.
Carrick’s frustration would have been understandable. Manchester United entered the fixture under considerable pressure following defeats against Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion. The defeat to Brighton was particularly damaging because United had taken a 2–0 lead before eventually losing 3–2 at Old Trafford.
That meant the trip to Fulham represented another opportunity for United to steady themselves.
Yet the same problems appeared again.
United struggled to convert promising attacking situations, while Fulham remained dangerous enough to punish mistakes. Eventually, Fulham took the lead after a disastrous defensive sequence involving Lisandro Martínez, leaving United facing the possibility of another damaging defeat.
Rashford had already been substituted by that stage, with Joshua Zirkzee coming on in the 78th minute.
United eventually rescued a point when Matheus Cunha’s effort took a deflection and found the net late in the match. That goal prevented Carrick’s side from suffering another defeat, but it did little to hide the problems that had been evident throughout the afternoon.
From Carrick’s perspective, the result once again demonstrated the importance of taking chances.
Managers can accept missed opportunities when a team is creating very little, but United created enough moments for the outcome to have been different. Rashford’s inability to convert his opportunities therefore became an obvious talking point.
The forward’s performance also comes at a time when expectations around him remain high.
Rashford returned to Manchester United after a summer filled with uncertainty about his future. Earlier reports had linked him with a move away from Old Trafford, but he ultimately remained at the club and committed himself to Carrick’s project.
That decision increased the importance of his performances.
Carrick needs experienced attacking players to deliver consistently, particularly during a period when United are attempting to establish a clear identity under their manager. Rashford is one of the players capable of changing matches with his pace and finishing ability, which is precisely why missed opportunities become even more significant.
Against Fulham, the problem was not that Rashford disappeared from the game completely. Instead, he was presented with opportunities and could not turn them into goals.
That distinction will matter to Carrick.
The manager can work with a forward who is struggling to get into dangerous positions because movement and tactical adjustments can help solve that problem. However, when a player is already reaching promising positions but failing to finish, the solution often comes down to confidence, decision-making and execution.
Rashford will therefore have to respond quickly.
Manchester United cannot afford to continue dropping points if they want to compete at the level expected of them. Their early-season results have already created pressure, with Carrick acknowledging before the Fulham match that responsibility for the team’s performances ultimately rests with him while emphasizing that the focus should be on finding solutions rather than assigning blame.
The Fulham match provided another example of why those solutions are necessary.
United eventually escaped with a point, but the performance left plenty of questions. Rashford’s finishing was one of them.
There will inevitably be discussions about whether Carrick should continue trusting Rashford in the same role, whether the forward needs to improve his decision-making in front of goal, or whether other attacking options should be given more opportunities.
However, the responsibility cannot rest entirely on one player.
United’s attacking problems are collective. Bruno Fernandes also hit the post during the match, while other attacking players struggled to consistently turn possession into clear chances.
That means Carrick will have to examine the entire attacking structure rather than simply blaming Rashford.
Nevertheless, Rashford will know that he had opportunities against Fulham.
For a player of his quality and experience, those moments are precisely the situations where Manchester United need him to deliver.
The draw means United leave Craven Cottage with a point rather than the victory they wanted. The late equaliser from Cunha rescued the result, but the bigger concern is that United once again failed to take control of a match when opportunities were available.
Carrick will now have to decide how to respond.
Rashford, meanwhile, will be expected to respond on the pitch.
The forward has the ability to put disappointing performances behind him, but Manchester United will need him to be more clinical in their next match. If similar chances fall his way again, Carrick and the supporters will expect a different outcome.
For now, the Fulham draw serves as another warning for Manchester United. Creating chances is only part of the job. The team must finish them.
And after Rashford’s missed opportunities at Craven Cottage, the pressure will be on the England international to prove that the next time those chances arrive, he can turn them into goals.