Did any of you read Southgate's actual quotes before slamming him? Just curious.
“From time to time I do go and do that with players [meet them], especially when a player is with us as often as he [Rashford] has been over a period of four years. But in the last eight squads, he has ended up pulling out of five [actually six] while Maguire has been in the team and a key part of the team for massive matches over a long period of time. For various reasons, Marcus has dropped out of that a little bit. We have players in that area of the pitch playing at a better level, so it is harsh but that is the nature of elite sport unfortunately.”
“Marcus is very realistic. He will be searching as much as anybody to get that form back. It is important, perhaps after this camp, for me to go and sit with him and find out a bit more what is going on. But also there is a reality that we are not working with him every day so there is a limit to what that is probably going to achieve. Ultimately there is a big responsibility for any player. I often hear that this coach or that coach has got the best out of somebody but the very best players play well for pretty much every coach they play for. Always as a player you look at yourself first.”
I would say reasonable and measured comments from Southgate, not pandering to him at all. Doing some basic man management of a player he hopes to pick again in the future, while firmly saying he's not picked because others are playing better, and that he is the only one responsible for his form.