Amorim provides Rashford huge challenge to keep spot

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has given Marcus Rashford a huge challenge to prove himself at Old Trafford.

The forward netted the opener for United at Portman Road on Sunday against Ipswich Town. The 27-year-old did his trademark celebration, pointing a single finger to his head and closing his eyes, but his display dropped off for the remainder of the game.

Rashford has scored just 13 club goals since the start of last season. He poised front and centre in attack as part of Amorim’s 3-4-3 system.

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The Manchester-born player’s most prolific season came under Erik ten Hag as the side reached third spot in the Premier League. He was poised out on the left wing when he scored a career-best 30 goals in the 2022-23 season.

Last season was something of a nadir for Rashford. His performances were so bad that he was dropped from the England squad for the European Championship in the summer.

With Amorim now in the dugout at Old Trafford, some of the player’s futures are not clear. The former Sporting CP boss spoke about his attacking options, and he provided Rashford with something of a warning.

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“I will try to help him,” READ MORE: Man Utd target January midfield transfer despite Amorim ‘love’ for forgotten star” target=”_blank”>Amorim told reporters via MEN. “That position is not the best one for him, especially in a game like that. We have to kick with high pressure, we have to kick the ball so many times and it was like fighting with two giants.

“We’ll try to find the right solution for him, as for the other players. But he has to be Marcus, first of all, to try to return to that moment and then he will have all the help of the staff, the club and the fans because he’s a Manchester United boy. But he has to be the first one to want it.”

Amorim opted to start Rashford over Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, both of whom are in poor form themselves. Zirkzee, by example, has just one goal to his name since arriving from Bologna, and it came on the opening day of the season.

“Of course, there is a concern in that but I think we have to improve as a team,” Amorim said of his side’s goalscoring problems. “Because we have quality players who can score so many goals.

“But you could feel it in the second half, we controlled possession of the ball but we were not dangerous. Maybe because we spent the week trying to work on build-up and then the rest was not working.

“We will try to improve as a team and Rasmus and Josh and Rash will score more goals, even Bruno (Fernandes) has to score more goals! Amad has to be better near the goal, all these guys need to improve and we can score so many goals. We need to improve as a team and these players can score goals.”