Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford were considered heroes for helping England reach the European Championship final in the summer, but Rashford was left out of the squad just eight months later and Maguire was booed by England supporters.
It has been quite the comedown for the Manchester United pair since that Euro 2020 final defeat against Italy at Wembley. Both players took holidays in Greece after that tournament but pre-season was just around the corner. Maguire reported for United training three weeks after leaving the Wembley dressing room, while Rashford underwent an operation upon his return instead.
Maguire had played more than 4500 minutes of club football the season leading up to the tournament and he received just 21 days rest to get over England's defeat. It was a rushed preparation for Maguire. Although the centre-back was exceptional at Euro 2020 for England, he started the season slow for United — that was no surprise — and then sustained a calf injury against Aston Villa in September.
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He made his return from the sidelines against Leicester in October but looked well off the pace. Maguire was the worst player on the pitch, unnerved by his former crowd at the King Power Stadium. It was later revealed he had been rushed back from injury. That 4-2 defeat was the beginning of the end for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but it also represents the start of Maguire's confidence crisis.
The 29-year-old hasn't been the same player this season as the one who thwarted attacks for his country in the summer. He's looked ponderous, devoid of confidence and worth a small fraction of the £80m that United paid for him. His credentials to captain the club have received unprecedented scrutiny and the weight of playing for United seems almost too much right now.
While there have been fleeting moments that promised a return to form for Maguire this season, they were never sustained. It is difficult to get back to your best when the team around you is meandering in disarray. Rashford, ironically, also returned from injury in that defeat at the King Power. Both players have faced the exact same problems since.
Maguire and Rashford have been two of United's biggest underperformers this term, which is quite the statement considering how disappointing many of their teammates have been. Rashford has failed to make an impact on games and he hasn't enjoyed a strong run of form for United since the winter of 2019/20. Both players are supposed to be starters that United can rely on.
There are now questions being asked about whether they are good enough to play for the club instead. The harsh reality they must accept is: both players have been well below the required standard this season and their futures at United should be considered.
If making conclusions just on this season's evidence, Maguire and Rashford would be sold this summer but football doesn't work like that. It's not FIFA 22 or Football Manager. Maguire is contracted until 2025 and Rashford until 2023; the latter is obviously in a more vulnerable position. It's also understood that both players want to remain at the club and summer exits seem unlikely.
The manager who succeeds Ralf Rangnick needs to inform both players that next season will be their last at the club if they don't improve. Some would suggest they've already been handed enough time — and it would be hard to counter that argument on recent evidence — but perhaps a lengthy and interrupted summer for both players will do them the world of good.
Maguire and Rashford had just three weeks away from the pressure that playing for United brings last summer. They'll get the benefit of a prolonged break from football this time around and they should return desperate to right the wrongs of this season.
United fans are understandably angry and that emotion has been directed at the players that have performed worst — Maguire and Rashford — this term, but both will soon receive the opportunity to reset their headspace away from the frustration.
While it is hard to sympathise with millionaire footballers, it is sometimes forgotten that they're actually human. These two should greatly benefit from the fast-approaching summer break before reporting for pre-season at Carrington with a point to prove.
Whether that will be enough to guarantee their respective futures at the club remains to be seen.
They need to remind everyone they're good enough to play for United.
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