Young guns need to sort it
ALLI 'N RASH A WORRY
IT IS not looking good when it comes to two of England’s best young talents.
All does not seem well with Tottenham’s Dele Alli and Marcus Rashford of Manchester United, in a season when the Three Lions need them to peak for next summer’s World Cup.
You can’t help but fear that too much has come too soon for Alli, 21, and 20-year-old Rashford.
It is probably no coincidence both are going through difficult times during a period when so much attention is focused on who will be their new agents.
You can only imagine what promises and inducements the pair have been offered by those desperate to represent them and how their inexperienced heads are being turned when they should be focusing on lifting their game – and attitude – back to where it once was. The dark side of baby-faced Alli is well known already – the retribution tackles, the niggles, the tendency to dive.
This season Alli has been awful, though. His fancy adidas Predator 18+ boots look like they are made from lead at times, so bad has his touch been.
Disturbingly, United striker Rashford also no longer looks like the happy-golucky teenager he once was.
There was an unpleasant moment during United’s humiliating 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat at Bristol City on Wednesday night.
Tackled brilliantly and fairly by Joe Bryan, Rashford hunted down City’s goal hero and hacked him down, earning his third caution in four games. This from someone who was booked only twice in his first 44 appearances.
On Sunday, he was close to seeing red after going down dramatically, clutching his face, as if he had been smacked by Ahmed Hegazi.
Rashford confronted the West Brom man and was booked. Hegazi wasn’t as he hadn’t done anything wrong.
With Russia on the horizon, all England fans ought to be praying these two undoubted talents straighten themselves out by concentrating on what they are good at and ignoring the rest.
On a more positive note, how good is it to see the luckless Jack Wilshere getting back to his impressive best at Arsenal? England boss Gareth Southgate must have noticed his fine performances – and fitness – as he completed 90 minutes in two league games in three days last week.
Wilshere has had his fair share of issues. But now 25, married and a father, the penny seems to have dropped. At his best, which he seems @dailystar.co.uk to be close to again, Wilshere
drives at defences with excellent close control and looks for the killer ball like no other England player. It is unfathomable why Gunners boss Arsene Wenger hasn’t yet opened contract talks with Wilshere, who can leave for free at the end of this season.
They had a bust-up at the beginning of last season, but Wenger ought to swallow his pride and sign him up now.
On top of that, he could do a lot worse than appoint him as skipper.
Can anyone out there explain why Laurent Koscielny has got the job?