Liverpool legend Graeme Souness has launched a scathing attack on Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford. The England winger, who is facing the possibility of losing his starting spot for Euro 2024, has had a woeful season. Despite being the top scorer for his club last year and one of the most feared attackers in Europe, Rashford’s performance has taken a sharp decline this season.
Souness didn’t stop there, as he also criticized Bruno Fernandes. Speaking on Three Up Front, William Hill’s new podcast, Souness questioned whether Fernandes would fit into Manchester City’s team. While acknowledging Fernandes’ talent, Souness raised doubts about his willingness to put in the hard work. He questioned whether Fernandes has the appetite to do the “hard yards” and suggested that we may never find out.
Souness reminisced about his own playing days, emphasizing that no player was allowed to shirk their defensive duties. He highlighted the importance of sprinting forward and even quicker when tracking back. According to Souness, this expectation still holds true for the best teams today. At a proper club with professional players, tracking back is ingrained in training sessions. If a player fails to meet these expectations, they will face consequences. Souness believes that Rashford’s lack of defensive effort against Ross Barkley during their match against Luton a few weeks ago indicates that he may not be meeting these standards in training.
Souness concluded by stating that at a proper football club, players would be all over Rashford if he consistently failed to track back. There would be fallouts and, if the player didn’t learn from their mistakes, they would consider selling him.
In summary, Souness expressed his disappointment in Rashford’s decline and questioned Fernandes’ suitability for Manchester City. He emphasized the importance of defensive effort and tracking back, suggesting that proper clubs would not tolerate players who fail to meet these expectations.
