Manchester United should sell Marcus Rashford and consider offloading Bruno Fernandes
Marcus Rashford’s poor form and Bruno Fernandes’ age are reasons for Man Utd to consider selling them
Manchester United supporters would normally rejoice in Manchester City’s problems as they prepare for this weekend’s derby. They would be wise to be careful before over-celebrating.
Ruben Amorim and Pep Guardiola are about to embark on a rebuilding process at the same time and, as things stand, you have to assume that is bad news for United, especially as they are some way off demonstrating they have their own house in order on and off the pitch since Sir Jim Ratcliffe took control.
Despite their issues following another midweek Champions League defeat, City are the bigger draw, mainly because most top players want to play for Guardiola and they can never be outbid in the transfer market. When Erling Haaland was available, for example, there was only one Premier League winner.
With a new manager and executive team, United ought to be primed to take advantage of City’s troubles. They are yet to prove they are capable of doing so, and whatever problems Guardiola has, United’s are bigger. City need signings to revive themselves because some of their legends are past their peak or recovering from injury, whereas Amorim has realised quickly that the job is tougher than he imagined because the quality was never there to begin with. City must reconstruct from what is still, relatively speaking, a position of strength on the back of a rare dip in form, whereas United must do so from one of weakness.
Amorim has taken over an underperforming squad on high wages, and it needs trimming to enable him to invest in the players he needs. Given how many signings have dropped in value since joining United, it does not surprise me that big names such as Marcus Rashford are being linked with a move. United should sell him as he is not delivering value for his lucrative contract. Eleven goals in his 48 league appearances over the past 18 months is not good enough.
Ruben Amorim talks to Marcus Rashford - Options limited for Marcus Rashford and Man Utd in loveless marriage
Ruben Amorim has challenged Rashford to rediscover his best, but warned: ‘He has to really want it’
There has been too much of a pantomime around Rashford for the last few seasons, the promise he showed when breaking into the side not realised. He is 27 now and should be in his prime. In a front three, Rashford is the third attacker. United will never win the Premier League or Champions League if he is leading the line.
A dilemma also looms with Bruno Fernandes. Unlike Rashford, Fernandes has been one of United’s best players during a tough period and would have shone with more quality around him during his Old Trafford career. But he is 30 now and there may be value in offloading him to raise funds. Amorim may see it differently and believe a few more years of Fernandes alongside shrewd additions will serve the team better. Selling must be a consideration, however, because Fernandes is one of the few players who can attract a significant fee if profitability and sustainability rules are an issue.
I’ve always felt Fernandes is a great talent rather than a great player. He creates a lot of chances but can be very indisciplined with and without the ball. That makes it a lot harder for United to defend as a compact unit as he chases the ball all over the pitch. It looks like great commitment to the supporters but the manager will be tearing his hair out.
Amorim will be planning ahead while trying to get a tune from those he inherited for the rest of this season. Knowing that City are bound to be in the market for players of the same pedigree is a complication he could do without.
There is an extra layer of interest given both clubs will have inside knowledge about the kind of profile of players the other will pursue. It is easy to imagine rival managers and executives making a pitch for similar targets.
United poached City chief executive Omar Berrada last season, while Amorim’s former sporting director at Sporting Lisbon, Hugo Viana, will join City in the summer. Viana will intuitively know the kind of footballer Amorim wants to make his system work.
United ought to use the time they have before Txiki Begiristain hands over the reins to Viana to steal a march. Rightly or wrongly, there were suggestions United were determined to appoint Amorim because they believed he would be on City’s shortlist had Guardiola opted not to renew his deal.
Start of United’s new era of ownership could not have been worse
To get ahead, Ratcliffe needs to reassure the football world everyone is on the same page after another terrible week.
The start of United’s new era of ownership could not have been worse. United’s league position at this stage of a season is the lowest for 37 years.
They bottled the decision to sack manager Erik ten Hag at the end of last season, only to have to bow to the inevitable and effectively write off this season. They spent a fortune on new players, most of whom Amorim has already realised will not be part of his long-term plans.
And now, having pursued sporting director Dan Ashworth for five months, they have sacked him after the same period in post.
Whoever told Ratcliffe this was a good time to be conducting interviews to let the fans know how it is all going might want to reconsider whether PR is the right job for them.
The optics look horrific for Ineos, although it would be wise to reserve judgment on the latest decision to break ties with Ashworth.
Public perception is immaterial so long as you are confident a problem is fixed, and ditching Ashworth might prove a shrewd move soon.
From the outside it was odd how many directors were being pursued and appointed in the immediate aftermath of Ratcliffe’s “takeover”. When so many have the same remit there is bound to be friction and a power struggle. If there is a semblance of truth to the suggestions that Ashworth was championing Gareth Southgate or Graham Potter replacing Ten Hag – while Berrada was pursuing Amorim – the clash of visions was unsustainable.
Manchester United should sell Marcus Rashford and consider offloading Bruno Fernandes
(From left) Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Sir Dave Brailsford and Omar Berrada have had a tricky start at Man Utd
In this situation, Ratcliffe should be admired rather than criticised for taking firm action, rather than letting a problem fester, despite knowing how bad it would look to expose the division. It is hardly unprecedented. Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, did the same when it sacked Damien Comolli on the eve of the 2012 FA Cup semi-final, just over a year after he became the club’s first director of football. Michael Edwards assumed more responsibility and 24 hours of negative headlines were a small price for the long-term benefits.
There has been too much focus at United on where it has gone wrong since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. What is most important for them is what happens next. Amorim’s first signings will reveal the direction he wants to go, how aligned his ideas are with the United hierarchy, and how equipped the club are to recruit players who City might also want, both financially and in terms of realising big ambitions.
This weekend’s derby will be a battle. The forthcoming transfer war will determine if there is to be a power shift in Manchester in the near future.–––––––——¯–
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