Tuchel relishes Rashford v Gordon in search for round pegs in round holes

For Thomas Tuchel there is a fringe benefit to Anthony Gordon’s surprise move from Newcastle to Barcelona. “It is excellent,” he said, calling it “such a nice trip for me to watch matches” and adding that he could only encourage people to go to nice places. Tuchel was in a playful mood after England’s 1-0 win over New Zealand in Tampa but was frank about shortcomings: the final action was uninspiring, players lacked positional discipline and the shape was too narrow, particularly in the first half.

He replaced the entire XI at half-time for load management, bringing on Gordon for Marcus Rashford on the left — a quirk given Rashford has just finished a good season on loan at Barcelona and would like a permanent move, with a €30m option-to-buy clause United insist is non-negotiable, while Barcelona paid €70m plus €10m in add-ons for Gordon.

The transfer has sharpened the competition between Gordon and Rashford, and that suits Tuchel’s emphasis on positional clarity: no square pegs in round holes.

United States, Tampa

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