Final impressions and negative points
A conversation with Ruben Amorim in early December partly explains why Marcus Rashford has been absent from the Manchester United squad for the past six games. On Sunday, December 1, 2024, Man United beat Everton 4-0, with Rashford scoring twice in a lively performance. But then Amorim heard that the striker had gone out on a night out on November 29, less than 48 hours before the match at Old Trafford. He did not want his players going to bars before games and asked Rashford. The Englishman assured him that it was false information.
However, three days later, Rashford was left out of the starting line-up for the trip to Arsenal. While rotation was in progress, questions about his social life were also a factor in Amorim’s decision. Since then, Rashford’s only appearance has been against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on 12 December. He has since been left out of the squad for four consecutive matches. The 27-year-old was back on the bench for the trip to Newcastle on 30 December, a game for which Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte were suspended.
"We have a lot of players," Amorim said, "Every week I have my choice, and this time he is here." The emphasis on "this time" implies that there are no guarantees for Rashford "next time." And Amorim's failure to bring him on when Newcastle were 2-0 down after just 19 minutes could be interpreted as a larger statement than dropping him altogether.
The following game against Liverpool, Rashford was again absent. Amorim said: "I don't want a point. I want to win the game." The fact that Amorim seems to believe United have a better chance of winning without Rashford points to bigger problems.
Ahead of the Liverpool game, Amorim confirmed that Rashford had missed training this week due to illness. The England striker’s future has now become one of the biggest issues facing United. How can the current top scorer, a man who has been widely praised and rewarded for his charitable work, and who earns one of the highest wages in the country – £325,000 a week – be dropped at a crucial stage of the season? It’s a complicated situation, but one thing seems clear: the prospects of regaining favour under Amorim are bleak.
Leaders want to get rid of
Since the post-match talk against Everton, Rashford has played 118 minutes of a possible 810. He played the final half-hour against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, then started the game against Viktoria Plzen, and was substituted in the 56th minute. On Saturday 14 December, in the final training session before playing Manchester City the following afternoon, Rashford was not in good form, reportedly looking tired. It has been claimed that Rashford had been out the night before - on Friday, 48 hours before the game - and that the team were aware. However, those close to the player have denied this. Rashford is also said to feel he does not behave differently to his Premier League counterparts but faces much closer scrutiny over his social life.
Amorim made his decision based on what he saw first-hand, taking all aspects into account, and when the derby team line-up was posted on the team WhatsApp group on Saturday night, it was clear to the players that the forceful action was a punch to Rashford. Amorim's treatment of Rashford was in line with the views of his superiors, namely INEOS sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford, chief executive Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox. After the 2-1 derby win, Amorim said he had spoken to the directors about how to handle Rashford.
Perhaps most prominent in his and their minds was the incident in Belfast last January, when Rashford went partying on two consecutive nights. He was pictured in a nightclub hours before he was due to train on Friday at Carrington. He called in sick for that session and initially said he would only go out on Wednesday.
Rashford's request to play Sunday's FA Cup tie against Newport County was rejected by then-manager Erik Ten Hag. United later said he had "taken responsibility for his actions" and the matter was being dealt with internally. Ten Hag returned Rashford to the starting line-up against Wolves in the Premier League four days later and he scored in a 4-3 win. However, Amorim opted for a more aggressive approach.
Quiz with the trainers
How best to get the best out of Rashford’s mind has been a topic of discussion at United for years, and an incident in a meeting shortly before he arrived in Belfast provided the catalyst for a new internal discussion. Steve McClaren, one of Ten Hag’s assistants at the time, was overseeing an internal tournament at Carrington. Rashford’s team were in the final. As the game progressed, McClaren, in his joking way, said he believed Rashford would win. In response, he questioned why he was putting himself under more pressure.
Sources say McClaren realised in that conversation that Rashford needed more attention and shared his thoughts with Brailsford. The day after the Newport game, Brailsford made his first squad speech to outline the INEOS strategy, particularly in terms of raising standards across the club. Brailsford's speech was recorded in his diary rather than as a response to Rashford's lack of discipline in Belfast, but it seems to have struck a chord with the player. He requested a private meeting with Brailsford and they spoke for 90 minutes.
Rashford has shouldered the brunt of the focus and expectation for several seasons, under a number of different managers. Trying to follow instructions for different approaches is a challenge for any player. Including caretaker managers, he has played under eight managers since making his first-team debut as an 18-year-old in February 2016. Conversely, he has also proved a puzzle to those in charge.
Ralf Rangnick saw Rashford excelling in training but failing to show it in games, leaving him confused and wondering what was going on in his life? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer struggled with a similar dilemma. Ten Hag started well with Rashford, scoring 30 goals in 2022-23, but then things went sour with a difference of opinion, about the coach's approach.
Go or change?
Last summer, new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanted to sack Rashford. His wages, which run until 2028, were among the highest earners, and Ratcliffe wanted value for money. But little seems to have changed in the last six months, so United have changed tactics and backed Amorim’s decision.
Finding a club willing to match his wages and share a transfer fee seems unlikely, unless he moves to the Saudi Arabian Pro League. Such a proposition is said to be unappealing to Rashford at this stage of his career. Rashford's views on the possibility of leaving United come after two of his closest dressing room mates, Jadon Sancho and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, left in the summer.
Amorim said he wanted to see a change in Rashford, but sources said his performance in training was inconsistent, with some good days, occasional illness, and social activities...
Rashford has 138 goals in 426 games, putting him 13th on United's all-time list, seven behind Cristiano Ronaldo in 12th. There is no doubting his quality, but everyone at United has talked about how Rashford's attitude needs to change to meet the required standards and how the 27-year-old should be setting an example for younger players. Will his off-field choices impact the level he can achieve? Until Amorim and the team feel there is meaningful improvement, the prospect of him continuing to be absent or leaving remains.
