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England's team selection will be Thomas Tuchel's number one dilemma ahead of this summer's FIFA World Cup, especially in attack. So who takes the left wing role? Well with incredible speed, dribbling and numerical output it could only be one man, and Jacob is here to tell us why Marcus Rashford is the key to England’s World Cup chances!
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England's team is starting to come together nicely ahead of the World Cup, but there's one pretty big issue
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Who takes the left-wing spot in England's front three? Because I'm not really sure that even Thomas Tuchel knows yet, to be honest
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But with a few names in the mix, there's one that stands out above the rest. Someone with individual brilliance, someone who brings balance to the England front three
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I'm Jacob Horsfall, 442's resident tactician, and this is why Marcus Rashford is the key to England's World Cup
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first off we've got to look at who marcus rashford's competing with because not too many left
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wingers have actually stood out this season since tuko came in rashford has created the most chances
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has the most successful dribbles has the most pass at the final third and the second most shots of
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any left winger he's been a regular at left wing and more often than not he's delivered the goods
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under tommy t although anthony gordon has pushed him a little bit but gordon is someone who almost
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exclusively wants it in space where he can attack in behind the opposition's defense which is why I
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chose a wide variety of stats we've got shots we've got chances created we've got successful
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dribbles we've got passing to the final third they tick boxes for every single type of game plan
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Thomas Tuchel may have for any team in the World Cup as much as Rashford is known for his wide
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forward in behind movement and he can be deadly in those scenarios he has a versatile skill set
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which is part of the reason why he's my favorite to go into that left wing slot for the World
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Cup. England will face a deep defence like this a ton at the World Cup. Wingers will often be
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doubled up on, but the defenders will be less engaged with the ball. However, Marcus Rashford's
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dual-footedness means he is a constant threat. Here, he forces the defender to engage with him
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The dummy for that cross into the box means the defender is terrified. He thinks something's
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going to happen, but then Rashford chops away and then he has that separation to properly deliver
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in space into the box. Rashford is terrifying for full-backs, not just when he's dribbling at top
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speed or in 1v1s but the ability to create a yard and deliver an attack in action that what breaks deep defences The key for England against these teams will be to overload the right side of the pitch Have Saka you have Jude Bellingham you have Harry Kane Declan Rice in that area
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So then the ball switch quickly to Marcus Rashford who can then attack a defence
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that is reshuffling their position. However, that's not always possible and football isn't as simple as just reshuffling a low block
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Sometimes this will be the situation, settled possession where the opposition are happy to sit on the edge of their own box
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But when Rashford receives the ball here and fires it back in to then receive again and carry into the box
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that's where he makes the difference for this England team. Rashford can be the catalyst for England's block-breaking
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That is an interesting way to describe someone who speeds up the tempo, but it's true
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He can be the guy who changes the flow of a game and destroys a deep defence
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Only 16 players have attempted more take-ons than Marcus Rashford this season
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which may seem like a good few, but Rashford's only started 14 games for Barcelona in La Liga
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So that sheer volume of take-ons puts him in that makes things happen category
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Now every big club who breaks a low block has a makes things happen player
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Whether it be Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City for years, Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United for years
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Cole Palmer at Chelsea for a good few seasons now. But that skill, that ability to make things happen also translates to those big games
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This is a position that England will find themselves in at the World Cup. Everyone behind the ball, everyone box defending
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and potentially England might be hanging on against a high quality team. But you see, as soon as England win that first duel to clear their lines
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Rashford's head is down. He's legging it into space. So when that ball's played, he's attacking space in the opposition's half
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looking to exploit that transitional moment. He's got that ridiculous burst of speed and able to hit a very high top speed
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which means he is just a constant threat, whether it be in set-up play or in transition
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32.8 kilometres is Rashford's top speed in the Champions League this season
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Despite most of the pass he's receiving being to feet and in a ball-dominant size
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the fact he eats up ground so quickly and is so constant in his want to take people on Gives you something different to Bakayo Saka at right wing Because Bakayo Saka he a control variable in those big games
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The ball is played to Saka and he's probably going to retain possession. He's going to keep it and wait until the perfect moment to strike on the opposition
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Which is so, so valuable. It really, really is. But you guessed it, that means the other winger has to make things happen
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When Harry Kane drops out the front line to receive the ball, you do want a runner in behind like Anthony Gordon
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So in that sense, being an impact at attacking space and getting in beyond the opposition's defence
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Gordon and Rashford aren't too dissimilar, but Rashford has something that Gordon can't even dream of
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When England come away from pressure with seven players inside their own box and Rashford picks the ball up
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you know the opposition are in danger. Here, he uses small directional touches
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to force the opposition player to engage with him before then bursting away and driving England forward
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Now look at Anthony Gordon in a similar position. He tries to shimmy inside under slight pressure, but his touch is too loose, leading to Japan closing the space, and then he can only tap the ball to a Japan player
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I mean, against Japan, the Newcastle winger completed zero successful dribbles. I really do like Gordon as a player. He's got so much to bring to this England World Cup setup
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But is he someone who will drive past three or four players and get you out of pressure
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The data would suggest no, at least in comparison to Marcus Rashford
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And that's no slight on Gordon. But when England are in them big games and they're under the cosh against a high quality side
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Rashford can not only cause goals from his own half, but he can prevent you from conceding those goals
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Teams like Spain will look to pin England in when they have the ball and maintain pressure constantly
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So when England win it back, they've got to break that pressure instantly. Uruguay collapsing onto any England player when England turned the ball over showed exactly what we can expect from a high pressure opposition side at the World Cup
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Two players look to pin Rashford towards the touchline, well, three, but this plug's already been skinned
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Now, Rashford doesn't let them pin him in. He starts to slow down to engage both defenders
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He dummies that feint inside before then bursting away from them taking them both completely out the game Because Uruguay looked to press the ball carrier so aggressively England have a 3v3 inside Uruguay box But that only possible because of Rashford ability to go 1v3 and win
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And that's absolutely terrifying for any opposition, any opposition in the world
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So Rashford at left wing, that absolutely has to be the plan. However, Rashford isn't just a left winger
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Main man Marcus has spent 33.65% of his career leading the line at club level
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Now I can hear you. Harry Kane is leading our line. He's one of the best strikers in football right now
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And yes, you would be completely correct. But his backup's Oli Watkins, someone who's banged out of form
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And the other option is Solanke, who's constantly injured. So having another option, someone else who can do that job, that's not a bad thing
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No Barcelona player has registered more La Liga shots per 90 than Marcus Rashford this season
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and he outperformed his XG in all competitions. So we've got a high volume shooter
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with the ability to break a game with his shooting and that's valuable
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whether it be in a battle against Serbia or in a quarterfinal against France
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Here, he's basically in a 1v5, but instead of rushing the action, he takes valuable touches to create separation from Tonali
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and rifles home off the crossbar. Now, yes, he may not be in that exact position
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too regularly at the World Cup, but if he is to drop in while someone else goes in behind
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you can trust him to create a yard and then rifle a shot towards goal and hey sometimes volume can
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equate to brilliance especially if you're against higher quality opposition like england may find
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themselves against a spain in the final again nevertheless thomas tuchel does have some squad
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selection headaches but that left wing role who is going to be his main man on that left wing
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should not be one of them rashford can shift inside and deliver a beautiful in swinging cross
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He can take a touch and beat his man relentlessly. And as we all know with Rashford, he's got a little bit of magic in his locker
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Just like the 442 YouTube channel. So if you have enjoyed today's video, please do leave a like and subscribe
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Let us know if you think Rashford should be starting at the World Cup. And I'll see you again next week for some more ysis
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