Ruben Amorim has had little time to settle into life in Manchester and is already facing his first big test.
The tactician managed to smile throughout his 14-minute press conference on Wednesday morning (local time) as almost every question revolved around Rashford, who had said earlier he was "ready for a new challenge" after being left out of the Manchester derby.
The former Sporting boss remained calm and tried to resolve the issue in the most peaceful way possible. Amorim understood that things would only get more complicated if he publicly criticized Rashford's interview.
However, Amorim knows that his power is at stake and would be weakened if he forgave Rashford so easily. "It's a difficult situation to comment on. If I take it seriously, there will be big headlines in the newspapers and if I say it's not a problem, my standards are going down. So I'm going to deal with it, I understand that," Amorim said.
Despite being at a press conference ahead of the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Tottenham, Amorim barely received any questions about the match. Even the dramatic victory in the Manchester derby a few days ago was forgotten. Instead, all the questions revolved around Rashford.
Amorim has said he wants Rashford to stay and believes every player faces a new challenge at United. However, with the England striker causing trouble for the budding relationship between the two sides, it is difficult for Amorim to remain calm.
The Red Devils will of course want to sell Rashford in January, but who will buy? Man United have reduced their asking price to £40m, but Rashford's £325,000-a-week wages remain a major barrier. Although Rashford is in his prime at 27, he has only scored 15 goals for the club in his last 67 appearances. He has also fallen out of favour with England.
Not only has Rashford's form declined, he has also been involved in frequent disciplinary issues. Manchester United legend Gary Neville even used the word "unprofessional" to describe Rashford. The reason was that the England striker attended an NBA game of the New York Nicks during the most recent international break when Amorim had just taken over.
Rashford still has three and a half years left on his contract, which expires in July 2023, when PSG are keen on signing him. At the moment, no team is really interested in Rashford, while the Saudi Pro League is not a likely option.
Despite his poor form, a section of Man United fans still love Rashford and, moreover, this is his 10th season at Old Trafford. Besides, selling Rashford would also cause the "Red Devils" to lose tens of millions of pounds. However, it would be a heavy blow to Amorim's power at Old Trafford if he kept Rashford.
