Manager Thomas Tuchel will have to make a big decision ahead of England’s World Cup opener.
And perhaps none more so than on the left wing, where the rivalry between Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon has become almost personal.
England have an embarrassing amount of wealth in this department and the clock is ticking until Tuchel selects his starting XI for the game against Croatia in Dallas on June 17th.
That is the purpose of this training camp. They play New Zealand in Tampa on Saturday. The match kicks off at 4pm local time, with return time at 9pm. Match sharpness and fitness will probably be more of a test against the lowest-ranked team in the tournament.
But it would be naive to think that a few eyes will be on who starts at key positions. Jude Bellingham was given the number 10 shirt on the team list ahead of Morgan Rogers.
It’s possible to read too much into the team’s numbers, but Rashford also took on the number 11 with Gordon’s number 18 on his back.
Does it matter? That probably applies to Rashford as well. This is a Manchester United player who had just spent a year on loan at Barcelona, but at the end of that season the Catalan giants decided to sign their English rivals for £70 million.
What does that say about Rashford? Rashford certainly has a lot to prove and that could actually be a very healthy thing for England, as competition and rivalries can push players.
Former England manager Gareth Southgate has spoken highly of Gordon heading into the final Euros, with the former Newcastle winger admitting he was “frustrated” at not getting the chance. He played one minute in England’s final group game against Slovenia.
In fact, Gordon made more headlines for falling off his bike and grazing his chin, looking pretty stupid, while looking at his phone, of course.
And indeed, his mind was quite elsewhere that summer, with many transfer rumors swirling, and he failed to make the most of his opportunity. This is really strange for a player who is so motivated, focused and determined.
Perhaps that will be the lesson of this tournament. This is because this head-to-head competition will be attractive for both countries and potentially for the clubs as well.
Rashford remains a Manchester United player so it remains to be seen what his future holds, but he has no desire to return to England. The World Cup could be his stage.
Barcelona signing Anthony Gordon throws a spanner for his England teammates (Image: Photo by Josep LAGO/AFP via Getty Images)
You have to praise Rashford. Apart from being a national hero, he wanted to play for Barcelona and set his sights on that.
Rashford played 2,261 minutes for Barcelona last season, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists. They are staggering numbers. Gordon made 2,868 appearances for Newcastle, scoring 17 goals and providing five assists. Impressive.
But the other factor here is Rashford’s sudden emergence in 2016. And we are still waiting for him to reach his full potential in England. 70 caps, 18 goals. It was Tuchel who said in October last year that Rashford needed to step up to prove himself on the biggest stage.
Rashford needs to impress Tuchel over the next two weeks (Image: Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“The quality we see in training, the finishing with both feet and the head, allows him to be one of the best in the world,” Tuchel said.
“He’s explosive, he’s got speed, he’s strong in the air. So where are the limits? There are no limits, but the numbers aren’t up to their potential. It’s as simple as that. He has to push himself to do the goal-related things: goals and assists. It’s as simple as that.”
“He has potential, but potential is a dangerous word in high-level sport.”
Tuchel has a reputation for using carrots and sticks, and for giving tough love. Looking at the rivalry and head-to-head, it looks like Rashford is in pole position. And Gordon will have to make it his mission to overtake on the final lap.
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