Manchester United last played their last league fixture was Sept. 4. Which means by the time they play next, Oct 2 for the Manchester Derby, it will be almost a month (29 days) between domestic fixtures. That’s what happens when the longest reigning monarch in the history of England passes away right before international break.
So while the team itself is off right now, the news never takes a break. Let’s do another edition of internationals Man United News and Notes, with an all-England national team team theme, starting with “Slabhead” Harry Maguire.
The Manchester United team captain, whomever it may be, is always going to be under massive scrutiny. With Maguire, who has been dreadful in form for some time, the criticism has been prevalent and fierce. He consistently makes media headlines for being bad at what he does. Maguire, who is the world’s all-time most expensive defender, rejected suggestions that the critics negatively impact him.
Being dropped at United, his club playing time has diminished recently, but the center back says his limited minutes on the club level won’t hurt internationally at the World Cup.
“I am not concentrating on anybody else and what people are saying, I think if people can make a story about me, I am Manchester United captain, it is going to make big news,” he said to talkSPORT.
“So, that is the reason they do it, they like the clicks, and things like that, but I went into the Euros after an eight-week injury, and did not play one game, and got into the team of the tournament. In terms of rustiness, and things like that, I am sure that won’t happen.”
So it’s all about the clicks, huh? Well, good! That means we should get a whole bunch here then, right? Hey, it’s international break, and clicks are in short supply at those times.
While Maguire made the England call-ups, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho did not.
Rashford is injured while Sancho was cut. However, Sancho and Rashford are currently top trending on Twitter right now, despite being inactive, due to all the footy fans making the same joke. England suffered a 1-0 defeat in Italy this weekend, which saw Three Lions relegated from UEFA Nations League Group A3.
England have taken just two points from five Nations League matches thus far, but don’t blame Sancho and Rashford.
Rashford and Sancho watching Southgate get relegated: pic.twitter.com/83AX36O1XJ
— Jadon Sancho YPOTY (@Sancho25szn_) September 23, 2022
In the words, of Homer Simpson: “hmmmmmm, salty.”
Southgate knows the heat on him will now be even hotter than it is for Maguire.
United fans knowing Rashford and Sancho haven’t got relegation on their CVpic.twitter.com/ntJ3eR5e9B
— ???????’? ?????? ? (@CantonasCoIIar) September 23, 2022
“I understand the reaction at the end,” Southgate said of the boo birds coming for him at the end of the match.
“That’s the results that we have had in this competition. It is an understandable emotional reaction. Tonight, we haven’t got the result we needed or wanted so we are in a run of bad results but it is for us to put that right.
Rashford and Sancho are England’s best wingers that’s what happens when you don’t put them in the squad Southgate pic.twitter.com/7omv6R0UI7
— T??s? ?¹-Yahya™ (@RealistYahz) September 23, 2022
“The only way to do that is stick with what we believe, stick with what got us success in the previous tournaments and in the end the players have got to stay really tight because there’s going to be a lot of noise but a lot of that will be around me and that’s absolutely fine. That’s my job to take that pressure for them.”
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.