Marcus Rashford was desperate to prove a point - but it's Anthony Martial who will give Jose Mourinho food for thought

Marcus Rashford doesn't seem like the most controversial, confrontational figure. Nor is Swansea City vs Manchester United a fixture that conjures images of great historical rivalry, harsh words flying or juicy beef between two sides.

But thanks to an incident at Old Trafford last season, when Rashford tumbled to the floor and won a penalty, the young forward was the least popular man in South Wales on Saturday lunchtime. The Liberty Stadium is not a sporting arena that one might associate with bear-pit intimidation: it's relatively small, located in a retail park on the edge of town and has a Frankie and Benny's in the car park.

And yet when they get going, those inside Swansea's home can whip up quite a noise. Most of that noise was directed at Rashford: clearly those present didn't agree with Gary Neville's assertion that he didn't have to “justify himself” over that penalty last April.

The old line is that fans don't boo bad players, which may well be true. If so, Rashford can console himself with that knowledge, but the way he responded to the derision from the stands was simultaneously curious, but also what you might expect from a kid who it's easy to forget is still just 19.

Rashford played most of the game like a man desperate to prove a point. At one point in the first-half he tried a shot from about 30 yards out that you could quite happily file under 'absurd', a hopeful effort that would have either required a right foot with the power of a trebuchet or a goalkeeping howler. In the event, the force behind the effort was closer to that of a seven-year-old's slingshot, and Lukasz Fabianski knelt to collect it as if he was gathering a kitten in his arms.

It seemed like Rashford's sole aim was to score a goal then run over to the fans taunting him, to quiet those displeased with his conduct four months ago. The only debate was which celebration he would choose: the finger to the lips, the hands cupped around the ears or the point to his name on the back of his shirt.

Other examples came, shots from not unreasonable angles or distances, but ones when a pass might have been a more shrewd option. But his entire performance, including an almost constant stream of consciousness complaint to the officials for slights either real or perceived, seemed like a reaction to the crowd rather than what would more benefit his team. There was a lack of maturity in his performance which should come in time, but is not there yet.

open image in gallery

All of which might have been fine had his finishing been better. Rashford took four shots in his 74 minutes on the pitch, three on target but none that required Fabianski to move in order to save. The effort about midway through the first-half was the most egregious: an errant Swansea header sent him clean through, but he could only jab the ball straight into the goalkeeper's chest. It was the sort of chance that one might expect a forward of Rashford's talent and reputation to score, or make the goalie work from. Or at least make him move.

​Rashford's poor finishing was perhaps emphasised by his replacement. Anthony Martial's relationship with Jose Mourinho has often been tricky, but the young Frenchman performed brilliantly after he came on. He was involved in the second, tension-breaking goal when Romelu Lukaku made it 2-0, then scored the fourth, speeding from halfway and finishing with a clinical ease to make a solid Manchester United win look like a rout. “It was easy for me to make changes,” said Mourinho after the game. “Good players make the manager look even better.”

Martial was a peripheral figure last season, and there was even talk this summer that he might leave the club, but in this game he showed why he's worth persisting with. And also perhaps gave Rashford something to learn from.

open image in gallery

“It's not always a motorway,” said Mourinho after the game. “You always find difficult roads and roadworks.” He was talking about the United team in general, but the same statement – clumsy metaphor may it be – can still apply to Rashford. He's clearly a fine young talent, and one who United and everyone else should be patient with, but he is not yet clinical enough. Martial, on Saturday at least, was.