Hull City vs Manchester United: Jose Mourinho backs Sam Allardyce's call to send Marcus Rashford to England U21s
Hull City 0 Manchester United 1: Instead of linking up with the likes of Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge, Rashford will train with Jack Grealish, Dominic Solanke and Duncan Watmore
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Your support makes all the difference.Jose Mourinho has insisted Marcus Rashford and Manchester United will benefit from the teenager’s demotion to the England Under-21 squad, despite the 18-year-old once again showcasing his match-winning abilities with a stoppage time winner against Hull City.
Rashford, who scored on his full England debut against Australia in May, has been overlooked by Sam Allardyce for the World Cup qualifier against Slovakia on Sunday, with the new England manager opting to place the youngster with Gareth Southgate’s squad for next Tuesday’s European U-21 Championship qualifier against Norway at Colchester.
So instead of linking up with the likes of Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge with the seniors at St George’s Park today (Mon), Rashford will train with Jack Grealish, Dominic Solanke and Duncan Watmore with the juniors.
Having taken his United goals tally to a remarkable nine in 20 appearances since making his debut in February with the winner at Hull, Rashford offered further evidence of his readiness to perform at the highest level.
But Mourinho, who has guided United to their best Premier League start for five years, claims that Rashford will gain much more from his week with the Under-21s than if he had reported for duty with Allardyce’s squad.
“I think if he went with the full squad, Sam would put him on the bench,” Mourinho said. “Can he help the first team to win matches like he’s helping Manchester United? I think he can.
“But for me, from a selfish point of view, thinking just about me and the evolution of my player, I prefer him to play matches with the U21s.
“So I think it’s very good for him to be on the pitch for 90 minutes for the U21 squad.
“Sam knows that if he needs the kid, he has the kid, but I think he has so many strikers that this time he chose not to select him and we respect that.
“So the kid goes with the U21s with the best mentality because he wants to play football.”
Mourinho’s view was echoed by United and England captain Wayne Rooney, whose pass to Rashford at the Kcom Stadium led to the forward’s 92nd minute goal.
“It's a huge honour for him to play for England,” Rooney said. “It was a big moment for him to go to the Euros and it's still important for his development to go and play with the Under-21s.
“It's important that he gets games because he hasn't played that much and I think it will be good for him.
“He knows that and he understands that and his time will come. He will get his chance for Manchester United and England.”
Rashford’s contribution against Hull -- caretaker-manager Mike Phelan compared his substitute threat to that of former United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer -- followed two games sat on the bench under Mourinho.
The United manager insists he will not be restricted to a diet of late appearances, however, after admitting that quality always forces its way into his teams.
“No (he isn‘t better from the bench),” Mourinho said. “I think top players are better on the pitch than on the bench.
“But coming on against a tired team that was trying to hold off high intensity waves of attacking football, for sure he comes fresh and comes sharp and he causes them problems.
“But I think top players have to have more time on the pitch than on the bench.”
While United’s victory extended their 100 per cent winning start to the campaign ahead of next month’s derby against Manchester City at Old Trafford, Hull dropped points for the first time this season under Phelan.
Coming on against a tired team that was trying to hold off high intensity waves of attacking football, for sure he comes fresh and comes sharp and he causes them problems.
And after navigating his team through Steve Bruce’s resignation and the failure to add a single player to the squad since promotion last May, Phelan admits that key issues must be resolved during the international break -- including his own future.
“I think the adversity that the players have been through has come through, they’ve shown a togetherness and grouped themselves together really well,” Phelan said. “But now some serious decisions have to be made because the transfer window is just around the corner.
“They deserve some more quality to come into this football club, they deserve a break.
“If we are going to be competitive at this level we definitely need a squad of players that can come off the bench and start for us.
“After that it’s down to ‘who do you want to take this club forward?’ I think that’s up to whoever is in charge to make that call and to make it as quickly as possible.
“I think it’s now a serious time to make those decisions and make those correct calls.”
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