15/10/2025

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | OCT 15, 2025

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Be the best, avoid regret Tuchel warns Rashford not to be ‘disappointed’ at end of career

Ű BY MIGUEL DELANEY

T HOMAS TUCHEL has warned Marcus Rashford that “he can be one of the best in the world” but that he still has to take “the right decisions” or “he will be disappointed in 10 years”. The England manager even admitted that he recalled the 27 year-old for his first squad in March because he felt “it would help him if he felt my support”. Tuchel, meanwhile, left the door open for the dropped Jude Bellingham by saying he would likely be in his leadership group if recalled. The England manager added that there is always a space for players who have a “hunger and will to come back”. That could similarly apply to Rashford, whom Tuchel feels is still at a fragile moment in his career. The England manager had been talking about the forward’s improved form, but imploring more consistency, when he was asked how Marcus’ ‘inconsistent environment’ remark speaks volumes MARCUS RASHFORD has opened up about the challenges he faced at Manchester United, and has appeared to suggest that the club’s instability made it difficult for him to maintain consistent performances. The 27-year-old is currently on loan at Barcelona, with the Spanish club having the option to buy him permanently for just £30 million (RM174m). The forward has played under a staggering eight different managers, including temporary stints from Michael Carrick, Ralf Rangnick, and Ruud van Nistelrooy, since Louis van Gaal gave him his first-team debut. He only managed to make over 100 appearances under three of these bosses: Erik ten Hag, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Rashford had a brief spell with Ruben Amorim last season, playing just six times before moving to Aston Villa on loan. After spending several months under the guidance of Unai Emery, he now finds himself working with Hansi Flick at Barcelona. Adding to the list of his mentors, Thomas Tuchel is currently coaching him in the England national team after taking over from Gareth Southgate. Tuchel emphasised the need for Rashford to achieve consistency if he wants to be recognised as a world-class player. Now thriving at Barcelona, Rashford has responded to these remarks in an interview with ITV , stating: “For sure, consistency is a massive part of it. “I feel like I have been in an inconsistent environment for a very long time, so it is even more difficult to be consistent. “But I completely agree, I think consistency is what I need to bring into my game, and I am looking to do that. I want to be at my best, not sometimes, but as often as possible. “When people talk about consistency, in order to be consistent in anything, not just sport, you need consistent variables in your life and the way you train. We have just had so many changes so far in my career. “But I have to look forward, and that is definitely one of the things I want to put right and improve on to be at my best more often. When I am at my best, I really enjoy everything about the sport.” – Express Newspapers

“I think that is the headline for him (consistency). To keep on push ing himself to the limit. I think the limit for him is very, very high. Maybe higher than for others. “He has the potential, but poten tial is a dangerous word with high level sports. You have to reach your personal best on a regular basis. “That is what is demanded on this kind of level, and that is the chal lenge for him. “It’s not a question of talent, it’s a question of whether he can prove the point at club and international level. “This is his task, whether he starts for us or comes off the bench, he has to constantly prove himself.” – The Independent “The goal that was disallowed would certainly have helped us at that point but it is offside and we shouldn’t really be offside in that situation so it’s an error on our part. “The goal we lose is a freak goal, we should defend the corner better but it comes off the player’s shoulder and ends up in our net, so it wasn’t even a header. “That’s disappointing, but in the second half we were terrific, we gave everything and we just couldn’t force an equaliser. “It felt like a game that was either going to be decided by a moment of something special or a bit of a freak goal, which is ultimately how it was decided.” O’Neill and a number of Northern Ireland players went to speak to refe ree Jesus Gil Manzano at the end of the match – unhappy that he had only added on two minutes of stop page time during a spell in which Northern Ireland had Germany pegged back. “I think he added three (minutes) in the first half,” O’Neill said. “I’m not sure how many substitutions there were, but to add two minutes I thought was ridiculous, to be hon est. “I’m not going to go into it but we weren’t happy with the referee’s per formance on the night, let’s be hon est. I thought he was over-fussy. (But) look, all the big decisions were right.” – The Independent hosts rode their luck when Belarus had a second half equaliser disallowed for a foul on Scott McTominay in the build-up. McTominay doubled Scotland’s lead in the 84th minute but Belarus substitute Hleb Kuchko pulled one back deep in stoppage time. “Was it a wee bit better in the second half? Probably not,” McGinn said. We’re not naive enough to think that. But what we did do is get over the line. “We know exactly what we need to do next month, two wins and we’re there.” – The Independent

right word. I can feel him for him and I thought in my first camp that it would help him if he felt my support for him. He was at Aston Villa at the time. “I think that was quite a bold move, because to go in a working team, and a team that was well set tled, and played a hard-working style, I think that was a very, very good move for him and he settled in very quickly. “And for the work-rate against the ball, I selected him. And still, he had not as many goals and not as many goal involvements as he could have. “He creates quite a lot of chances, but for the quality and finishing that we see with training, he just doesn’t score enough, so that’s the next step. qualifying group. That can’t be forgotten.” Clarke, who has led Scotland to the European Championships on two occasions and is looking to qualifying for their first men’s World Cup since 1998, did not pull any punches despite a landmark moment for him. “I’m really disappointed – really, really disappointed,” Clarke said. “It’s possibly as disappointed as I’ve been over the whole 72 games. We just didn’t turn up.” Clarke’s anger at halftime did not inspire Scotland to an improved performance and the MICHAEL O’NEILL was left disap pointed by a “sore loss” as an unor thodox first international goal from Nick Woltemade gave Germany a 1 0 World Cup qualifying win over Northern Ireland in Belfast. Woltemade made the break through in the 31st minute, turning in David Raum’s corner via the back of his shoulder, as a below-par Germany side left Windsor Park with three points that keep them top of Group A, level with Slovakia and three ahead of O’Neill’s side. A young Northern Ireland once again played with plenty of intent, growing into the game and manag ing more attempts at goal than their illustrious visitors, but a lack of cut ting edge proved costly in O’Neill’s 100th game in charge. Daniel Ballard had a 14th-minute strike ruled out with Paddy McNair offside in the build-up, but it was otherwise all half-chances they could not force in, leaving them with it all to do to get into Group A’s top two – although they still have a potential safety net via the Nations League. “We’re disappointed,” O’Neill said. “It was a sore loss. I thought in the first half we lacked a little bit of belief with the ball. “To be fair, Germany forced their physicality on top of us and it was dif ficult for us to get any kind of rhythm. Ű BY IAN PARKER

he is fast, he is strong in the air, so where are the limits? “There are no limits – but the numbers don’t reach the potential, it is as easy as that. He needs to push himself into goal involvements, that means goals and assists, it is as easy as that.” Tuchel was asked whether he admired Rashford for doggedly pushing for a move to Barcelona, where he has been revitalised. The German instead spoke of his sense of empathy for the player as he discussed what had been a difficult moment at Manchester United, when he wasn’t even training with the first team. “I didn’t know if he pushed him self; I don’t know if ‘admire’ is the

close he felt Rashford was to derail ing his career. “I think he is still on that,” the manager said. “He still has to make these decisions. “He is still in that moment, he is still young enough to take the right decisions and not let go. “Because otherwise, he will be disappointed in 10 years at what could have been and what he made of it.” Tuchel said he had told Rashford exactly this, as well as his belief that he can go right to the very top of the game. “He can be one of the best in the world because the quality I see in training, the finishing with both legs and with the head. He is explosive,

O’Neill disappointed after ‘sore loss’ to Germany

Germany’s Nick Woltemade (left) celebrates scoring their first goal with Aleksandar Pavlovic during their World Cup qualifiers. – REUTERSPIC

McGinn reveals why ‘angry’ Clarke went ballistic

Ű BY JAMIE BRAIDWOOD

of Scotland for a record-breaking 72nd time, said he was as “disappointed” as he had been during his reign, with Scotland struggling to build on Che Adams’ opening goal after 15 minutes. There were some boos at the final whistle. “At halftime, and deservedly so, was the wildest I’ve seen him in 72 games,”McGinn said.“But he’s been brilliant not just for me, but for the country and the group. “I think he has a lot of games left in him yet. A huge milestone but he’s rightly angry. But he has again got us in a great position in a

JOHN MCGINN revealed he saw Steve Clarke’s “wild” side as the Scotland manager let rip at his players at halftime of their 2-1 win over Belarus in World Cup qualifying. The Tartan Army are now just two wins from qualifying for the World Cup – ahead of crunch games away to the already eliminated Greece at home to Denmark next month – but it was an anxious night at Hampden as the hosts limped over the line. Clarke, who was taking charge