Former England international Danny Mills thinks Thomas Tuchel has a dilemma over Marcus Rashford following his displays against Albania and Latvia. After showing signs of being rejuvenated during his loan spell at Aston Villa, Rashford was recalled to the squad for the German’s first two games in charge, which yielded 2-0 and 3-0 wins.
The 27-year-old struggled to shine, though. He linked well with Jude Bellingham in Friday’s clash with the Albanians and was frequently guilty of being wasteful in the final third before being replaced by Anthony Gordon. He was also hooked off before the final whistle on Monday and has not scored for club or country since October 22.
Mills, who won 19 caps at international level, has now argued the forward failed to take his chance to cement a long-term place. “He was given an opportunity by Thomas Tuchel,” he told Foot Italia.
“He looked bright and lively in the games he’s played, but he didn’t really produce and take that opportunity. Sometimes, you just need something to happen in order to get your confidence back. I think he tried hard, but the final ball and end product wasn’t quite there for him.”
The ex-Leeds defender argued that the lack of end product was why Rashford was being regularly deployed on the bench by Villa. However, he did acknowledge that the scrutiny over Rashford’s return would have increased the pressure on him, even if the attention was self-inflicted.
“It’s never easy to perform when you’re under a huge spotlight,” he added. “But Marcus Rashford has to take some accountability for that. When you’re not playing well, and you’re appearing in the public eye or active on social media, you make life difficult for yourself.”
Tuchel now has to decide whether to pick Rashford for the next World Cup qualifier in Andorra on June 7. Three days later, the Three Lions will host Senegal in a friendly, and the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich man has already vowed to be ruthless with players who don’t perform.
Rashford has 61 England caps to his name but was axed from the squad by Gareth Southgate for Euro 2024. It followed his disappointing season with Manchester United, scoring just eight times in 43 appearances.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk