Mesut Özil in from the cold, Andy Carroll’s West Ham return and Southampton’s fears for another visit to
Manchester City Manchester United’s recent form has put a new twist on an old cliché. The international break came at a good time for United, but not just for the usual reasons. Marcus Rashford’s performances before he went away with
England were abysmal; he looked unhappy, demotivated and in desperate need of a rest. It turned out all he needed was a change. Rashford always seems happy playing for England, and his storming goal to open the scoring in Bulgaria has apparently given him a huge injection of confidence and zeal. He has sparked United’s mini-revival with a number of moments of coruscating brilliance. A tactical change and the return of his on-field kindred spirit Anthony Martial have also helped, with Rashford now playing wide left or as a split striker rather than an isolated No 9. He is still a long way from the finished article, like most 22-year-olds, but he is the most likely of the current squad to become what all emerging teams need: a talisman. RS