After controversially dropping both Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford out of the Manchester United line up for the derby game, Ruben Amorim made a point to say that the door is open for them to return to the pitch.
“They decide their future," he said. "If they train well they will play at the weekend. That’s it, we just want to win the game and try to choose the best players to do that.”
The players that do well in training during the week make it clear that they should be playing on the pitch come match day, pre-match Amorim stated: “Of course I choose the players, but they decide. If all of them do that I have to make my choices, and my choices for today is this starting 11.”
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Both Garnacho and Rashford have played in 15 matches, Garnacho scoring in three and Rashford scoring in four of his appearances, but after the Reds achieved such a big win without them it seems more difficult for them to return to the starting XI now.
When prompted further about his decision to leave Garnacho and Rashford out, Amorim acknowledged:
“They are fighting for the places. When people in our club are losing their jobs, we have to put the standards really high.”
The Reds manager commented in the post-match conference that next week they start with a clean slate. While Gary Neville sees this as a really positive thing for Rashford that he can use to improve: “I hope Rashford is playing on Thursday night against Tottenham (Hotspurs) and I hope he goes and scores two or three goals.”
The majority of Amorim’s answers focused on how the players engage with their teammates, alongside their general behaviour/efforts in training. Suggesting empathic clues as to why he chose to exclude Garnacho and Rashford from the derby.
Neville added: “We have seen Rashford and Garnacho for years stand upon that left and right wing and not chase back when fullbacks have gone past them and keep their place on the team - no more.”
Despite being a new manager, Amorim is challenging the Reds making big decisions and he is paying close attention to everything: “The way you eat, the way you put your clothes to go to a game. Everything. I make my evaluation and then I decide."
He clearly values the attitudes of the team on and off the pitch, acknowledging that they may have the talent needed but the players have to give their all and contribute to the team in order to earn their spot in the starting XI.