In response to a question about Marcus Rashford that was posed after England’s 3-0 victory over Latvia, Thomas Tuchel responded directly.
After defeating Albania by a score of 2-0 on Friday evening, the Three Lions made it two victories in short succession at Wembley Stadium in the span of three days.
When it came to the match against Latvia, Rashford was one of the few players who started both games. He also created eight chances, which was more than any other player competing on the field.
Since joining Aston Villa on loan from Manchester United in January, the 27-year-old athlete has experienced a revitalisation, as evidenced by the fact that he has provided four assists across his eight appearances across all competitions.
After the victory over Albania, Tuchel stated that he would have a conversation with Rashford and Phil Foden, who plays opposite wing, about how they can better contribute to his system in attack. He went on to say that “We can see in the numbers how much effort they put into defending high and the counter-press.” Marcus had a lot of runs when we had the ball, even though we did not see him or use him that much. This was also reflected in their sprinting numbers.
Immediately following England’s victory over Latvia, the German was questioned once more about Rashford, and his response was extremely insightful.
After being quoted as saying that he ‘did not like’ how his wingers played against Albania, Tuchel responded by saying, “No, I did not say that I didn’t like how they played.” This was in response to the question of whether Rashford and Jarrod Bowen were more impressive against Latvia. They have the potential to have a greater impact than they did.
Neither did I ever say that I didn’t like them, nor did I ever say that they didn’t make an effort.
“I believe that Marcus demonstrated once more today, particularly in the first half, the desire and the hunger to go again, and again, and again.
He was not afraid to take the dribbling, and his movements were more aggressive than those of other players. There were some things that did not go according to plan, but the most important thing was that he demonstrated his hunger, his desire, and his confidence in his abilities.
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