Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa came at a tricky time for Ruben Amorim as Manchester United returned from the international break.
Having been eliminated from the FA Cup, Man Utd enjoyed some extra rest while the FA Cup fixtures took place over the weekend.
Marcus Rashford scored twice vs Preston to send Aston Villa into the semi-finals of the cup, firing an indirect dig at Ruben Amorim in the process.
Therefore, it was expected that Amorim would be showered with questions on Rashford’s form ahead of his press conference and it went as expected.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Ruben Amorim’s asterisk on Marcus Rashford’s Aston Villa form
Rashford has played well for Villa but the game against Preston was the first time he’d scored in nearly four months of playing as a forward.
Therefore, Amorim could be forgiven for feeling a bit exasperated at being painted like the devil who caused Rashford’s fall from grace at Old Trafford.
Before the game against Forest, the Man Utd manager was again asked about Rashford’s form and the possibility of a potential return to the club.
Amorim gave the player his flowers but his three word asterisk on his form – “if he wants”, summed up his true feelings about him.
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Amorim said: “I know Rashford really well and everybody knows the talent that he has. So I already spoke about that. He’s a top player, if he wants. So I’m not surprised. And like I said, it’s the same with Antony, it’s a good thing.”
No way back for Rashford at Man Utd
If it wasn’t clear already, the brisque way in which Amorim bats away the Rashford question, always adding these little nuggets of asterisks in the middle sums up his true feelings.
The manager clearly feels hard-done-by by the player as what he demanded from Rashford is being given to Emery despite United being his boyhood club.
There is no love lost between the pairing after time together that can best be described as “silently seething” instead of going scorched earth publicly.
Either way, there’s no way back for Rashford at United and with Ineos backing Amorim to the hill, it’s likely that other players will follow suit as well.
An unfortunate ending to the career of a boyhood Man Utd fan but fairytales are not for everyone.