Marcus Rashford (11 England) participates in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K Qualifying match ... More between England and Latvia at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on March 24, 2025. (Photo by Kevin Hodgson | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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In the wake of a somewhat tepid performance against Albania, England boss Thomas Tuchel wanted to discuss the impact of his two wide players.
Mancunians Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden have undergone tricky periods of form for very different reasons, arguably evident in their rather blunt showing against the Balkan side.
“I’ve spoken to both of them, also in front of the group,” Tuchel explained postgame.
“They know that I appreciate the effort, I think, especially off the ball. Marcus had a lot of runs when we had the ball where we did not see him, where we did not use him.
“He was a little bit unlucky maybe with the timing and from time to time we oversaw him. Phil is just maybe not finding the momentum at the moment that he can have but both of them are very positive, they have every right to be positive and know exactly what we want from them.”
Tuchel was keen to add that he felt Rashford’s loan move to Aston Villa during the transfer window had been beneficial.
“He found his found his rhythm and since January, in a new club, new environment was very impressive and that has not changed because of 60 or 70 minutes that were difficult against Albania. Not at all,” he added.
Whilst Foden was dropped to the bench for the next game against Latvia, Tuchel kept faith in Rashford and was repaid.
As a Sky Sports analysis of the game [pointed out](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12016/13334920/england-myles-lewis-skelly-marcus-rashford-impress-for-thomas-tuchel-but-phil-foden-dilemma-remains) it was further evidence of the Manchester United loanee regaining his form.
“The signs on Monday were he had listened to the words of his new boss, running at his marker with more intent and creating a game-high six chances,” Peter Smith wrote for the broadcaster.
“There was no goal to highlight the point - he’s also yet to score for Aston Villa in nine games, despite four assists - but his rejuvenation is evident.”
It was an interpretation that Thomas Tuchel agreed with.
“I think Marcus again showed today, especially in the first half, the desire and the hunger to go again, and again, and again,” the England boss said afterward.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 28: Ruben Amorim, Head Coach of Manchester United, speaks to Marcus ... More Rashford of Manchester United as he prepares to enter the pitch as a substitute during the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Manchester United and FK Bodo/Glimt at Old Trafford on November 28, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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“He was not shy to take the dribbling, he was more aggressive in his movements. Not everything fell into place, but the most important thing was that he showed his hunger, his desire and the confidence in his abilities.”
Rashford’s inclusion in the England squad showed how far he has come in just a few months.
Before leaving Manchester United, his manager, Ruben Amorim, regularly criticized the forward publicly and couldn’t make a matchday squad.
The Portuguese coach even suggested that the striker’s training efforts were so poor that he would select his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach ahead of Rashford.
But given the enthusiasm the Mancunian is now showing, his harsh approach to the situation looks like a catastrophic miscalculation.
It’s not that any of this is too much of a surprise. From the outset, it looked like Amorim had his sights set on Rashford.
Although he started the Portuguese coach’s first games in charge and scored the first goal of his reign, as the manager began to assert his authority, the England star started taking the barbed comments.
“Imagine a talent like Rashford; our team should be so much better with him, but he has to change,” he said not long after becoming manager.
His words were even more cutting when he started disappearing from the matchday squads: “The reason is the training. If things don’t change, I will not change,” Amorim told the press.
Sometimes, leaders pick a fight with a big personality to exert their authority, and although only Amorim knows what his motivations for ostracizing Rashford are, his decision not to attempt to reintegrate the forward quickly appeared to harden to the point of principle.
The problem for the Manchester United manager is that his performances for Aston Villa and England make that stance embarrassing.
It is also in stark contrast to the approach taken by his current boss, Unai Emery, whose words could not be more different from Amorim’s.
“We want to support him. Help him. Try to help him to feel comfortable here. Try to help him get confidence with us, try to be demanding with him. He is in this process,” Emery said after a game against Chelsea earlier this month.
It’s ironic, given Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has a team that focuses on marginal gains, to see such talent being wasted by the Red Devils.
Their problem is that it isn’t just Rashford who looks revitalized away from Old Trafford. From Scott McTominay to Antony, players who’ve blown hot and cold in red shirts suddenly look like different players outside of Manchester.
That should be of deep concern for the club, not least because seeing a player like Rashford, a fan who’s come through the ranks, will be painful for fans.