Not taking Rashford may prove costly for Southgate at Euro 2024
Gareth Southgate‘s England are so far performing at UEFA Euro 2024 the very way many Three Lions fans were dreading.
Despite their knockout qualification all but secure, and no losses sustained, the way England are operating on the pitch has resulted from outcries of anger, frustration, and disappointment.
That this England side, of all, boasting some of the most exciting talent and having left home some very big names, are proving to be toothless is even more testament to Southgate’s much-observed inability to take this side to the next level.
This makes one think, all those big-name omissions from the front line, were they actually worth it?
In particular, would Marcus Rashford not have brought more to this England side?
Rashford would have brought something different to this England side
It cannot be denied that the 2023/24 season was a disappointing one for Rashford. You cannot follow a 30-goal tally from the season before with a single-digit one and not call it a bad season for yourself.
That is club football, however, with many layers of narratives underlying those numbers, and on the tactical front, one always needs to keep in mind that team set-ups in international tournaments do not resemble the hyper-sophisticated, planned-to-a-tee plans the likes of Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta are known for. The games are a lot more open, fluid, and simple.
This is where Marcus Rashford is most at home. His best years have always come under managers going for transition-heavy setups, because the opposition recovering from a state-of-play loss is when we see Rashford at his explosive best, regaining composure the quickest and moving the ball to dangerous areas.
More importantly, known for being loyal to the players who have always delivered for him on the international stage, it is even more baffling that Southgate decided not to take someone who could at least make things interesting and bring something new to the table off the bench, if not from the start.
Conclusion
Marcus Rashford. Jack Grealish. James Maddison. The list of names Southgate has left out that could have made a lot of difference can go on for much longer.
But, such is the nature of talented sides like England; no matter whom you pick, there’s always someone talented left out.
Even so, Southgate has made mistakes. Not taking Rashford is one of them, and it’s one that could cost him dearly in what many believe will be his last international tournament as the England men’s national team manager.
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In a few hours, England take to the field against Slovakia. Their knockout place is sealed in all but name. But the way they have performed thus far understandably worries the onlookers, that this team may not go very far this time around.
In his likely swansong, Southgate may end up fumbling like he has never fumbled before. This was his chance to present the final form of his football, and it’s not looking good so far.
