Marcus Rashford was the player Erik ten Hag couldn't do without last season, but the Manchester United forward has become the problem that could define his manager's career at Old Trafford.
Unless Ten Hag drops Rashford from his team, starting with Wednesday's Premier League clash against Chelsea at Old Trafford, it will erode his reputation as a coach who is prepared to take the toughest decisions.
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Sanctioning Cristiano Ronaldo's exit from Old Trafford a year ago was heralded as a sign of Ten Hag's determination to assert his authority on his squad, but parting with a player who had publicly lambasted his management and the club was relatively easy. The same applied to allowing David de Gea to leave as a free agent in the summer following a string of goalkeeping errors. Getting tough with those two was straightforward because the exit door was already open for them.
But Rashford is different. He is United's highest-earning player, for one thing, after signing a five-year deal worth a reported £325,000-a-week in the summer. He is regarded by the club hierarchy as the embodiment of United's proud record of giving local youngsters the chance to become stars at Old Trafford. If Ten Hag can't crack the code with Rashford, there is no easy way out for either the club or the player.
Rashford's dismal performance in Saturday's 1-0 loss at Newcastle United was condemned by a raft of former players including United greats Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, while Alan Shearer and Jamie Carragher also weighed in with critical comments while working as pundits at the weekend. That result meant that Newcastle moved above Man United into sixth place in the table.
Ten Hag has run out of reasons to persevere with Rashford. His goals have dried up and his work-rate diminishes by the game. Newcastle's Anthony Gordon, who could yet take Rashford's England place at Euro 2024, exposed Rashford's lack of industry with a display of tenacity and hunger before scoring the winner for Eddie Howe's team.
Taking Rashford out of the starting XI now will make United a better team, but also help the 26-year-old. It would, or should, allow him the opportunity to re-focus and rediscover his best form. After all, it was earlier this year that he equalled Dennis Viollet's 64-year-old club record of scoring in nine consecutive home games, and scored 10 winning goals in a season, during a campaign in which his post-World Cup form fuelled United's surge into the top four and Champions League qualification.
Rashford ended last season with 30 goals in all competitions, but his form has taken a nosedive in recent months and he has managed to score just twice in 18 games for United so far this term: one of those strikes was a penalty at Everton last week ,when captain Bruno Fernandes let him take the spot kick to help boost his confidence.
Ten Hag has deployed Rashford in every position across the front three with little to show for it. The player was clearly unhappy with playing in a central role while the club waited for summer signing Rasmus Højlund to find full fitness. He has recently played down the right, due to Alejandro Garnacho impressing on the left. But even when he was switched to his favoured left-sided position, Rashford failed to deliver.