Man United icon slams 'disgraceful' international break record that should concern Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Manchester United’s poor form in the Premier League and especially in other competitions has hindered them on the pitch – and that is evident going into the international break.

The Red Devils will go without European football for just the second time in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era after a poor league finish last season.

A shock Carabao Cup exit to fourth-tier Grimsby Town also means that they can now only compete for two trophies via the Premier League and the FA Cup in what promises to be a slow season at Old Trafford.

And it’s not just events on the pitch that are affecting Manchester United’s overall grandeur, according to former winger Gordon Hill, with a recent international break update proving to the 71-year-old that something is ‘absolutely disgraceful’ at the club in the present moment.

Manchester United’s lack of players in the England squad is ‘absolutely disgraceful’, claims Gordon Hill

It’s clear that this is United’s worst-ever spell of form in Premier League history.

The Red Devils finished in their lowest position of eighth under Erik ten Hag in 2023/24, and a poor start to life in the league last season saw him replaced by Ruben Amorim, who could only muster a 15th-placed finish.

More alarmingly, there has been a lack of English influence at the club, especially with Marcus Rashford since venturing on two loan deals to Aston Villa and Barcelona in the past year.

However, Rashford is the only player contracted to United to make the recent England squad.

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Given he is out on loan, the only English stars who have any real chance of making Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico next summer are Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount and youngster Kobbie Mainoo.

An upturn in form will be needed, and it doesn’t seem likely at present, with Mainoo not being part of Amorim’s plans, as well as the two defenders in question leaking goals.

Posting on X (formerly Twitter), former United winger Gordon Hill said: “If what I was told is true, that there is not one Man Utd player in the England squad apart from Rashford who is not Man Utd.

“It is absolutely disgraceful, and tells me that my club’s history is disappearing. I hope not.”

It should come as something of a concern to Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his hierarchy, who are looking to make Man United one of the best teams in England again.

That can only come from having some of the best talent that the country has to offer, as shown in the glory years of the club.

It’s fair to say that Man United have had quite the impact on the England national team and vice versa.

Manchester United’s recent influence on England squads has been immense

Interestingly, a Manchester United player not only appeared but scored for England in every major tournament between the European Championships in 2012, until a drought at the most recent European Championships in 2024.

2012’s edition in Ukraine and Poland saw both Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney score, whilst the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 European Championships saw the latter continue his strong goalscoring record for the Three Lions, despite a group stage exit and a shock loss to Iceland, respectively.

England had an upturn in form under Gareth Southgate, and that saw current star Maguire and Jesse Lingard get on the scoresheet in the 2018 World Cup in Russia as the Three Lions made the semi-finals, whilst the European Championships in 2020 once again saw the dominating centre-back notch at a major tournament, before Luke Shaw scored in the eventual final defeat to Italy.

In 2022, it was the Rashford show during his purple patch of form as he scored three times in the group stages before an eventual defeat to France in the quarter-finals.

To go from six consecutive tournaments in which a Red Devils star scored, to none being in the squad, is a clear indication of United’s recent decline, and Amorim will be looking to fix that going forward.

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