Marcus Rashford: Manchester United are 'better' with striker, says Ruben Amorim

Manchester United's coach, Ruben Amorim, stated that the team is "stronger" with Marcus Rashford on board, following remarks from the striker hinting at a potential exit from Old Trafford.

The 27-year-old player, who represents England, expressed on Tuesday that he is prepared for a fresh challenge and is looking forward to advancing in his career.

It happened two days after Rashford was left out of the lineup for United's victory against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium.

Rashford's most recent appearance in the Premier League was on December 1, where he helped secure a 4-0 victory over Everton by netting two goals.

Amorim mentioned that the club is interested in keeping the forward, who developed within United's youth system, stating: "I prefer to focus on the present rather than discuss what lies ahead."

"This type of club requires exceptional talent, and he's certainly one of those exceptional players. My goal is for him to deliver his best performance, and that's where my attention is directed. I simply want to support Marcus."

When asked about Rashford's wish for a "new challenge," Amorim responded, "I believe that's a valid perspective. We're facing a fresh challenge here, and it's a difficult one."

"In my view, this is the greatest challenge in football. We find ourselves in a tough spot, and I've mentioned before that this is one of the top clubs globally."

"I'm truly excited to see if all of my players are prepared for this upcoming challenge."

Amorim mentioned that the team will experiment with various approaches to assist Rashford in reaching the high performance he has demonstrated before.

On Thursday, United will compete against Tottenham in the EFL Cup quarter-finals.

Amorim did not provide any information on whether Rashford or winger Alejandro Garnacho, who was also excluded from the lineup for the match against City, would play in the game against Spurs.

Amorim stated, "We have one final training session, but the situation remains the same for all the other players."

"If they perform well during training, I will need to decide. We'll find out at the conclusion of the training."

Since making his debut in 2016, Rashford has netted 138 goals in 426 matches for United.

His most productive season was 2022-23, during which he found the back of the net 30 times in 56 matches across all competitions, earning him a new five-year contract as recognition for his performance.

Rashford's goals from that season make up over one-fifth (21.7%) of his entire goal count during his nine and a half years at Old Trafford.

Nonetheless, he has faced difficulties in his performance over the last year and a half, managing to score only 15 times in his last 67 games.

During the 2021-22 season, the forward had a shot conversion rate of 11.9%, netting five goals across 32 appearances.

The percentage rose to 18% in the next season when he scored 30 goals. However, it dropped to only 9.4% last season, marking the lowest scoring rate of his entire career for a full campaign, as he found the net eight times in 43 games.

From the 2019-20 season onwards, Manchester United has achieved a victory rate of 52.7% in all competitions when Marcus Rashford is part of the starting lineup, securing 107 wins out of 203 matches. In contrast, their win percentage drops to 54.2% when he is not in the starting eleven, with 58 victories from 107 matches.

If Manchester United provided advice to help prevent further complications in an already sensitive situation, Ruben Amorim has taken that advice to heart.

We have enough insight into Amorim to understand that he won't hold back without reason. However, in this situation, it's clear that his actions will carry more weight than his words.

Amorim expresses his desire for Rashford, whom he considers a "great talent," to remain with the team. However, he also emphasizes that players need to meet his expectations.

He mentioned that Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho will be evaluated for inclusion based on how they perform during training.

So, it's reasonable to think that if neither player meets the necessary standards, they won't be going to London for the EFL Cup match against Tottenham—regardless of whether Rashford has recovered from the illness that kept him from training on Monday.

Following their match against Tottenham, United will face Bournemouth, Wolves, and Newcastle in their upcoming Premier League fixtures.

Soon, we'll find out how Rashford fits into Amorim's strategy. If he can't meet the expectations set by his new coach, the 27-year-old might not see any playing time.