Two Man Utd stars raise serious Ruben Amorim questions after he froze them out

Marcus Rashford and Antony’s exploits since leaving Manchester United on loan raise questions about Ruben Amorim’s leadership and the state of the club in general

The form of Marcus Rashford and Antony since leaving Manchester United have raised questions about the environment at the club. Rashford was completely frozen out by Ruben Amorim before he sealed a loan move to Aston Villa at the end of the January transfer window.

The 27-year-old has looked a player transformed since his switch to the Champions League quarter-finalists and FA Cup semi-finalists, regaining his place in the England squad as a result. Meanwhile, Antony, another player out of favour under Amorim, has been starring on loan at Real Betis, where there is already a clamour for him to be signed permanently.

The Brazilian says it is too soon to think about his long-term future but says moving to Spain has been “the best decision I’ve made”. Rashord and Antony join a growing list of players who have excelled since leaving Old Trafford. Anthony Elanga, the scorer of the only goal against United for Nottingham Forest in midweek, is another example.

When quizzed recently on why players before and during his tenure have struggled to perform, Amorim suggested the pressure of playing for a club like United is too great for some. However, the excuse has been dismissed by many pundits, including Gary Lineker, who pointed out that Rashford has performed at a high level previously in his United career, including scoring 30 goals in the 2022/23 season.

Speaking on his The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker responded: “I’m not buying that, I’m sorry. If you’re playing at any big football club, you need to be able to handle pressure to be there in the first place.

“People like Rashford, they’ve done it really well at certain times to prove that it’s not that. I just think it’s that seeping down from the top. The club gets in a bit of a mess, and it’s all over the shop.”

Breathtaking one season, anonymous the next, Rashford’s career continues to baffle. After a forgettable last season-and-half at United, it seems to be on an upward curve again at Villa.

Former Liverpool and Villa defender Stephen Warnock has offered a theory as to why Rashford is impressing under Unai Emery.

“With that Manchester United team, I don’t think he knew where to play,” said Warnock on Sky Sports. “I don’t think he (Amorim) knew how to get the best out of Marcus Rashford. This is a guy (Emery) who has looked at him and gone, ‘I’ll get the best of you’.”

Warnock highlighted Emery’s ability to improve players on the training ground and help them understand the game better. He added: “His (Rashford’s) understanding of the game is getting better.

“I’ve watched this guy (Emery) on the training pitch, and he is phenomenal. You actually see players realising, ‘Wow, yeah, I didn’t realise that’.”

With Amorim’s favoured 3-4-3 formation not playing to the strengths of neither Rashford nor Antony, it seems best for all parties that they secure permanent exits this summer. But it may not harm the Portuguese coach to do a closer inspection of what may be causing the growing trend of outcasts flourishing elsewhere.

Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Sky Sports launches discounted Premier League package

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

£43

£35

Sky

Get the deal here

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.