Before Tuesday’s pivotal match against Wales in the last group round, Marcus Rashford talked to the media. He said the following.
Rashford: We do not need boos to know we didn’t play well
The Three Lions are now in first place in Group B and have a good chance of making it to the round of 16, thanks mainly to their 6-2 demolition of Iran in their opening match.
But, at the end of Friday’s lackluster 0-0 draw with the United States, the crowd erupted in raucous jeers.
Rashford said, “I feel that if we perform well in the next game, that USA game will be forgotten.”
“It’s a bad sensation. But to be completely honest, we don’t need the crowd to boo us to know that we didn’t play well. We all felt that we could have done better, and this was a feeling that the group shared.”
“You do consider if you would have made different decisions in the lead-up to the game, but that is only normal for players who want to win as many games as they can.”
“Although losing is disappointing, we shouldn’t take it so personally. In the group, we’re in a good spot. You are the best team in the world when you win a game. You are at your worst when you lose. Football is that. You have to maintain equilibrium as players.”
'We DON'T need fans to boo us to know we could have played better!' | Marcus Rashford #rashford #england #marcusrashford pic.twitter.com/CrXNYpSLh9
— BeanymanSports (@BeanymanSports) November 27, 2022
Rashford opens up on England changes under Southgate
Since Gareth Southgate took over as manager, Marcus Rashford has discussed changes in the England team camp, highlighting the training intensity.
“Since Gareth became the manager, I believe training hasn’t been a problem for this team. Maybe before, it was a bit of a problem in terms of quality of training and people’s attention to training, but since Gareth has been managing, it’s been intense,” the player said.
Rashford, who made his debut under Roy Hodgson in a pre-Euro 2016 exhibition game, drew on his brief time as an England international before Southgate’s appointment: “Although I was only there for a short time, the training quality wasn’t as excellent.”
“There has been a change and an improvement. We’ve done much better in the major tournaments. Even in the games with England that we played throughout the year, we played better and had better results.”
Marcus Rashford says #ENG playersā ādedicationā in training has improved since Southgate came in. "The standard of training wasn't as high (before Southgate). If you're not training well, you can't expect to play well. There has been a clear improvement."
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) November 27, 2022
Marcus Rashford: Playing with idol Cristiano Ronaldo was an unbelievable experience
Marcus Rashford hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as one of his “idols” after experience playing alongside him at Manchester United.
Having joined the team’s academy during Ronaldo’s first stay at United, Rashford played alongside the 37-year-old Portuguese during his second.
When asked about Ronaldo’s leaving, Rashford replied, “Listen, it’s been an unbelievable experience to play alongside him.”
“Of course, he’s one of my heroes and someone I’ve always admired. Therefore, having the chance to play with him is incredible, and I’ll take that with me and treasure it always.”
“I thus wish him the best. We naturally want to express our gratitude for all he has done for Manchester United and our best wishes for the rest of his career.”
?ļø "He's one of my idols"
Marcus Rashford says it's been an unbelievable experience to play with Cristiano Ronaldo and wishes him the best in his future ??pic.twitter.com/xaOZLvv4Ue
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 27, 2022
Rashford on the USA draw and Wales being the big game
When asked about the USA draw, Rashford said, “While we constantly strive to play at our best, it is impossible.”
“When you need to play better, you still need to win games. It is unrealistic to believe that you or your team will win every game. Not pleased with how we performed.”
Rashford addressed the Wales game. He said, “Any World Cup game is essential for me. We’re going to the game and will give it our all. The USA defended itself exceptionally well when we tried to do it to them.”
“It is much more crucial for us to go and win this game because their midfield worked extremely hard to stop our guys and made it challenging for us to score.”
