Manchester United would have watched Mexico vs England carefully, and they learned three things from the game, including their biggest regret.
In a thrilling game with many twists and turns, England got over the Azteca hump in Mexico despite a second-half red card for Jarrell Quansah.
From Man Utd’s perspective, there were three things to learn from the game, despite Kobbie Mainoo continuing to search for his first minutes and Marcus Rashford not starting.
The club’s biggest regret is clear now.
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1- Marcus Rashford-Gordon debate settled against Man Utd
Eyebrows were raised when Barcelona paid nearly £70m for Anthony Gordon after refusing to pay £26m for Marcus Rashford.
Rashford is widely thought of as the better player, but could it just be a case of Rashford’s high moments being more visible?
Gordon ran the show down the wing against Mexico, working hard in both attack and defence.
He ran at his man with abandon, and there was an actual end product at the end of his runs, while his work off the ball was great as well.
Rashford can’t see a way back into the starting XI now, and as of this moment, the Gordon-Rashford debate looks settled against Man Utd.
2- Jude Bellingham is Man Utd’s biggest regret
Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Man Utd have been close to signing many elite players, but it has fallen through at one point or another.
From the likes of Toni Kroos and Cesc Fabregas to Erling Haaland and Moises Caicedo, United could have had a world-class squad if they sealed these deals.
However, after Mexico vs England, it’s clear that Jude Bellingham is United’s biggest regret.
United laid out the red carpet for him when he was moving from Birmingham, but he eventually joined Dortmund.
Against Mexico, he showed why he’s world-class, scoring two goals and putting in an all-action performance from the No. 10 position.
He has leadership qualities, the clutch gene, and a footballing understanding that is inherent. He is the kind of player Sir Alex would have secured and built the next great Man Utd squad.
3- Harry Maguire will be crucial for Michael Carrick
It looks weird to make a point about a player who wasn’t even in the England squad, let alone play minutes against Mexico, but Harry Maguire’s importance was clear against Mexico.
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As Mexico enjoyed a man-advantage, England went into a deep block, leaving any chance of staging attacks.
From then on, it was a case of defending the box and clearing away crosses, which shows how difficult it is to beat a low block now.
Maguire is elite at defending his box when the play is happening in front of him, and Michael Carrick used him perfectly in that role.
Mexico vs England showed that defenders who are elite in the box are in vogue, and there aren’t many better than Maguire in that aspect.
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