Marcus Rashford‘s future at Manchester United was sealed the moment new manager Ruben Amorim made the bold decision to drop him from the matchday squad for the derby against Manchester City. With the January transfer window now closed, Amorim has opened up about the reasons behind his decision to send Rashford on loan to Aston Villa.
Since taking charge in November, Amorim has attempted to implement a revolution at Manchester United, and one of his first moves was to dismiss players he felt weren’t up to the task, including fan-favorite Marcus Rashford. In a pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Leicester City, the Portuguese coach was asked if he believed his inability to bring the best out of Rashford played a role in the decision. Amorim provided a candid response:
“Of course as a journalist or a fan, you can take this the way you want. But what I say is that I couldn’t have Marcus see the way we’re supposed to play soccer and train the way I see it. And sometimes you have one player that is really good with one coach, and the same player with another coach is different. I just wish the best to Rashford and to Unai Emery for them to connect because he’s a very good player.”
When asked whether Rashford had expressed any disagreement with his ideas, Amorim was firm. “It’s something that you feel as a coach and as a player, and the important thing that it was my decision. Like with Ty (Tyrell Malacia), Antony, those were my decisions, to do these loans and then to keep some players even without any transfers (in),” the coach ended.
Alejandro Garnacho faced a similar situation under Amorim, being dropped in the same match, but the Argentine winger has since established himself as one of the team’s best players. With rumors suggesting Rashford’s lack of commitment, Amorim made the call to part ways with the player on the highest salary and continue rebuilding the squad, bringing in new additions like Patrick Dorgu.
Unai Emery accepts Rashford’s challenge
With just 7 goals and 3 assists in 24 games for United, Rashford’s season has fallen short of expectations. Additionally, being dropped from 11 matches since Amorim’s arrival means Rashford will need to regain his fitness quickly for the remainder of the season at Aston Villa.
Currently competing for a place in the European qualification spots in the Premier League and already in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, Aston Villa coach Unai Emery is eager to get the best out of Rashford.
I’m very with the transfer window, and very happy with him. The conversation I had with him was a normal conversation, talking about soccer, and I only want his best soccer,” the coach said when asked about Rashford’s signing. Emery also embraced the challenge of helping Rashford recover his form, something that previous coaches struggled to achieve:
“I don’t know the reason or the argument he’s leaving Manchester, but I’m very happy keeping him here, to try to exploit that, to help him to recover his performances. My challenge with me is a huge challenge. His challenge with us i think it’s an exciting challenge too.”
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