Despite his struggles, Ruben Amorim hasn't been afraid to stamp his authority on his Manchester United squad since replacing Erik ten Hag almost a year ago
Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim hasn't been afraid to move on players who don't buy into his methods
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Ruben Amorim has made no secret of his disappointment in the players who failed his predecessor, Erik ten Hag.
It's nearly a year since Ten Hag was given his marching orders by Manchester United after a dismal start to the 2024/25 season. The Dutchman couldn't capitalise on the potential shown by winning both domestic cups, joining the lengthy list of managers to be ditched since Sir Alex Ferguson's glorious tenure ended in 2013.
It was evident that Ten Hag had a strained relationship with several of his players, including some he had recruited himself. In the final stages of his reign, it came to light that the ex-Ajax boss felt particularly let down by three senior players: Marcus Rashford, Casemiro and Antony. He had previously coached the latter in the Netherlands before signing him for over £80million.
Ten Hag believed the trio could have done more to secure the results that would have prolonged his time at Old Trafford. He was succeeded by Amorim, who has encountered similar challenges in extracting top performances from some of United's high-profile players.
After taking the reins in November last year, he quickly fell out with Rashford, dropping him from his squad and then sanctioning his loan move to Aston Villa. Rashford secured another loan, to Barcelona, in the summer and is keen to make it permanent, cutting ties with his boyhood club once and for all.
Marcus Rashford speaks with Ruben Amorim
Marcus Rashford fell out of favour under Ruben Amorim
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Antony was swiftly moved on after failing to make an impression on Amorim. After a loan spell at Real Betis during the second half of last season, the head coach approved his transfer to the La Liga side for around £22m, despite this resulting in a significant loss of £60m.
Amorim was also open to parting ways with Casemiro, both in January and over the summer, but United were unable to offload the high-earning Brazilian.
A £15m fee was required for United to avoid a loss under Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). With no club willing to stump up that kind of cash for a player in his 30s, he ended up staying put.
Ruben Amorim, head coach of Manchester United, looks on with Antony of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Southampton
Antony was shown the door in the summer despite it meaning a huge financial loss for United
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Rather than merely seeing out the final season of his contract, Casemiro has proven to be one of Amorim's more dependable players this season, given the responsibility of protecting the back four and disrupting play.
As he looks to build on the momentum of finally securing consecutive league victories, Amorim will need players like Casemiro to maintain their form. However, as Rashford, Antony and others have discovered, Amorim isn't afraid to sideline any player who refuses to buy into his methods.
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