Ruben Amorim appeared to share his predecessor Erik ten Hag's concerns over two out of the three players the Dutchman reportedly blamed for his rollercoaster tenure
Erik ten Hag and Marcus Rashford have given Manchester United a big edge over Liverpool
Antony and Marcus Rashford left Manchester United in the summer(Image: Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
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Exactly one year has passed since Erik ten Hag was sacked by Manchester United. The decision came just over two months into the season and was widely seen as a brutal yet necessary one, with the Dutch manager having won the FA Cup only a few months prior.
Then-Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim was eyed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos as their top candidate to replace Ten Hag - and they got their man after shelling out £8.3million to activate his release clause. But the 12 months since the Portuguese’s appointment haven’t gone as planned.
With a mishmash squad of players who were not his signings and who were unable to play his trademark 3-4-2-1 formation to a high level, Amorim’s Red Devils finished 15th in the Premier League last term, the club’s worst-ever finish in the competition. They also suffered defeat in the final of the Europa League to Tottenham, which prevented them from qualifying for the Champions League.
The early part of the current 2025/26 season had been equally gruelling until United enjoyed back-to-back wins for the first time in Amorim’s tenure with victories over Sunderland and Liverpool, before last Saturday’s 4-2 win over Brighton made it three wins on the bounce.
With the side now up to sixth place, things may just be starting to click into place for the Old Trafford club. A key factor in that has been Amorim filtering through his squad and axing players that fail to align with his tactics, or those that simply lack the right attitude.
Two such players are Marcus Rashford, on loan at Barcelona since the summer, and Antony, who signed for Real Betis after a successful loan spell there last season. Interestingly, former manager Ten Hag reportedly believed the pair had let him down throughout his tenure.
Erik ten Hag, Manager of Manchester United shows appreciation waving and clapping to the fans during the UEFA Europa League group E match between Manchester United and Sheriff Tiraspol
Erik ten Hag felt let down by several of his players
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Ten Hag believed Rashford and Antony, as well as Casemiro, underperformed massively for him when he had banked on them to be key players, which the Daily Star claimed he thought contributed to his downfall.
Rashford in particular managed to net only once in the league last season under Ten Hag and consistently underperformed at the start of the campaign. The prolonged slump in form of a previously prolific striker left Ten Hag without a reliable goal-scorer, the player having netted 17 times (30 across all competitions) during Ten Hag's inaugural season.
Antony was specifically brought in by Ten Hag for a hefty £86m, with hopes that he would replicate his Ajax performances under the same manager. However, he fell far short of justifying such a price tag, tarnishing Ten Hag's transfer record.
Casemiro also experienced a downturn in performance following an impressive first season at Old Trafford. His fitness levels seemed to drop, and several costly errors did not help Ten Hag's cause.
Ruben Amorim, Manager of Manchester United, speaks with player Casemiro during the UEFA Europa League Final 2025 between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Estadio de San Mames on May 21, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain.
Casemiro is the only one of the trio still at the club
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Amorim appears to have shared Ten Hag’s sentiment, freezing out Rashford less than two months into his tenure and sending both him and Antony out on loan in January. Of the trio, only Casemiro remains in the picture.
That’s because, despite the 33-year-old’s best years being behind him, he remains professional and committed to the cause. Casemiro made important contributions towards the back end of last season, popping up with crucial goals in the latter stages of the Europa League.
The Brazilian midfielder also played the majority of minutes in United’s last three Premier League matches, which all ended in wins, scoring and assisting against Brighton. Unlike the aforementioned duo, the five-time Champions League winner still has the chance to play a key role in United’s potential resurgence under Amorim.
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