The tide seems to be turning for Ruben Amorim at Manchester United after a recent string of positive performances have translated to results.
The 3-0 win over Leicester City stands as the latest example of Ruben Amorim’s vision coming to life, with the players looking comfortable in their roles in this setup.
During such a positive time for everyone at the club, it is unlikely that anyone will be thinking about a player who left the club in less-than-ideal circumstances less than two months ago.
However, it is worth looking at Marcus Rashford’s situation context for a player still at the club, fulfilling the Man Utd manager’s wish that he had from the English winger.
Photo by Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Photo by Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Ruben Amorim’s wish from Marcus Rashford
The narrative didn’t do complete justice to Ruben Amorim when it came to Marcus Rashford because his brutally honest views on the situation sometimes came across as disrespectful.
Particular remarks like he’d prefer to play his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach over a player who doesn’t give everything were unlike anything one had heard from a United manager talking about his own player.
Furthermore, Rashford flourishing at Aston Villa renewed further focus on Amorim’s man-management skills, especially when United were struggling in stark contrast.
What Amorim wanted from Rashford is for him to sacrifice himself for the good of the team, play a complete game by running his socks off with immaculate professionalism.
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Rashford might well be showing that at Villa for now, but that doesn’t reflect badly on Amorim because what he wished from Rashford has been delivered to him by another Man Utd star.
Alejandro Garnacho becoming Ruben Amorim’s pet project
It was just three months ago that both Alejandro Garnacho and Rashford were completely dropped from the Man Utd squad for the Manchester derby.
Since then, one’s career crashed and burned at Old Trafford, while the other used it as motivation to put his head down, prove the manager wrong, and force his way back to contention.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the boyhood United fan who did the latter, as Garnacho buckled down and was recently praised by Amorim for doing the exact things he wanted from Rashford.
After the game against Leicester City, the manager said: “He [Garnacho] was really happy but the most important thing is he’s improving his game. He’s playing both sides, not just on the left.
“He’s sprinting back. These small things he’s doing quite well. When you do small things like that the big things start to show. He deserved that.”
It is the most unqualified praise he’s given Garnacho, a player who he’s always been eager to keep down to earth, wary of his nature.
This is not the first time Garnacho has come back from a professional setback and made himself indispensable, and for the first time, he looks like he’s become Amorim’s pet project.
If only the boyhood United fan who came through the academy showed the same desire…