Marcus Rashford’s form for Manchester United has now cost him a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024.
Manchester United recorded their worst-ever Premier League finish on Sunday when they finished eighth, despite ending the campaign with a 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion.
Marcus Rashford, for the wrong reasons, played a key role in the under-fire Erik ten Hag producing such a poor campaign, after scoring only seven Premier League goals.
Only last season, the 26-year-old was scoring 17 goals from the flanks, guiding Manchester United to the League Cup and a Champions League finish in what was ten Hag’s debut campaign.
Yet, fast forward to the present and it has all gone wrong for the speedster and he only has himself to blame because his club form has been rotten.
Rashford was part of England’s squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he scored three goals, including coming off the bench and scoring during the opening game win over Iran.
He even played 15 minutes during England’s recent friendly defeat against Brazil, but was left on the bench for the 2-2 draw against Belgium.
That now seems to be Rashford’s last appearance for England, for now, because he has been left out of Gareth Southgate‘s squad for Euro 2024, as reported by Sky Sports.
When the news filtered through to Paul Merson, he expressed his ‘shock’ at the news and thinks that Southgate is making a mistake, as he told Sky Sports News (21/05/24 at 1:10 pm).
At first, the England boss will name a 30+ provisional squad, which doesn’t include Rashford, before he will trim it down to 26 for the main event in Germany.
Marcus Rashford axed by England
“I think it’s huge news, huge breaking news,” said Merson. “As you say 60 caps, been in tournaments, scores goals and you can rely on him. If it was any other time, you would probably say that it’s not a shock. But with Gareth, he picks people if they are out of form. He picks people even if they aren’t in their team. I am really shocked.
“I know people will sit there and say ‘oh, the way he has playing’ and he hasn’t been good. But tournament football is so, so different to any other tournament.
“I would have taken him. 100% I would have taken him. I don’t know if it’s anything to do with up here (mentally). I don’t know if Gareth has talked to him and that’s the reason. I don’t know what’s going on in the lad’s life. But as a player, he has played in tournaments before. It’s so important. Tournament football is like no other tournament. Different to friendlies when you are playing at home to Brazil – you lose pace, you lose and he has scored goals in tournaments. He can play on the wing and he can play up front. He’s hot. He is one of them hot players. He can be freezing cold, don’t get me wrong. He can be really cold, but when the lad catches fire and he is hot, then he is unplayable. That’s what you need to win tournaments.”
Marcus Rashford’s Manchester United form has cost him and he can’t complain
Yes, over the years, Southgate has proven to be very loyal towards his players, even if they aren’t playing for their clubs and struggling.
A certain Harry Maguire is a prime example of that, in fact, he is probably the best example of the lot.
READ MORE: Graeme Souness believes £375,000 a week Man United ace should leave the club this summer
But Rashford just doesn’t deserve the golden ticket to Euro 2024. When you have players like Anthony Gordon exploding at Newcastle United – he scored 11 goals and supplied 10 assists – then you can’t leave him out.
This is the right call from Southgate and it’s great to see him being brave by leaving out such a senior figure when it probably would have been easier to keep him in.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
