Ruben Amorim has admitted Manchester United are going through “perhaps one of their worst moments” and urged everyone, including exiled Marcus Rashford, to “be strong in this moment”.
United’s heavy 3-0 loss to Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday left them 13th in the Premier League and Amorim’s side travel to Wolves on Boxing Day after losing three of their last four games.
Meanwhile, former United talisman Rashford has been left out of the last three matchday squads and announced in a bombshell interview last week that he was looking for a “new challenge”.
Asked if the Rashford saga risked becoming a distraction, Amorim said: “No, I don’t think so. Not for me or the other players.”
“Because during training, everyone is there every day. They understand. That’s the key point. For the media and other people, I can’t control that.
“But I’m really focused and they know I’m getting the message across very clearly. Everyone at Carrington knows what I’m talking about and what I want from Marcus and everyone else. It’s not a distraction for us. Maybe it’s for the media, but that’s not my concern.”
Amorim has refused to close the door on Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford.
When asked what he would like to see from Rashford, Amorim replied: “Like any other player, they can be the best.”
“If you have big talent, big accomplishments, big responsibilities, push them all in this moment. Some people have big responsibilities because they’ve been here a long time.
“This is probably one of the most difficult moments for our club, so we have to face this moment and be strong. That’s what I want from every player in the team.”
Amorim: I know what I’m doing
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Amorim says his entire focus is on winning football games and not on Christmas.
Rashford was left out of Manchester United’s matchday squad for the first time ahead of their Manchester derby victory on December 15. Amorim has revealed that Rashford wants to play for the team, but the Portuguese coach is sticking to his call.
“Okay, that’s my decision.” Amorim said: “He wants to play and he’s trying, but it’s my decision and only my decision.
“I’ve talked to a lot of players, both personally and in training. I’m doing it my way and it’s the only way I know. If I don’t do that, I’ll lose myself and I don’t want to lose myself. I know what I’m doing. .”
Rashford was an ever-present figure under former manager Erik ten Hag and Amorim insists the Dutchman’s reign cannot be blamed for his team’s current struggles in the Premier League.
United’s misfortune was highlighted when information was leaked onto the ceiling of the press conference room during Amorim’s briefing after the Bournemouth game. The Portuguese manager even used the comical moment to claim he could change the club’s fortunes.
“It’s a difficult question to answer. We need to know this. Don’t let this become the norm,” he said.
“I understand that this is a difficult moment. All responsibility is mine, because I have been responsible for the team since the first day I arrived.”
“We can’t think about it. We need to stop focusing on what happened in the past and think about improving it to understand the situation. This is what it is now, and what we need to do in the future is to make sure it never happens again. It will.
“If I knew, I would solve all of the club’s problems, including this (referring to the leak in the ceiling of the press conference room).
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After a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth, Amorim’s press conference was interrupted by a leak at Old Trafford.
“I know what I’m going to do. It’s very clear to me, so I feel good. I’m so frustrated that I can’t relax, but I know what to do.”
“But we have to solve the problem step by step and find answers to everything, but this is a very difficult moment. We understand our fans and we will fight against this.”
Amorim’s passionate message to Manchester United fans
Amorim also spoke about the “anxiety” of Manchester United fans around Old Trafford during the defeat to Bournemouth, but said he could not blame the fans who were “doing everything right” in the stands.
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The 39-year-old also admitted that he understands the frustration and disappointment they are showing towards their players.
“I can’t say any better things about the fans,” he said. “What I want to say to the fans is, ‘We understand. We understand as coaches. We understand the moment, the frustration, the disappointment. We understand.’
“We will improve. It will take time. I said the same thing after we beat Everton and people were talking about being in the top four, so I know it will be really tough but on this side we have It’s important to say that our supporters understand, I understand.
“And they’re unbelievable, the support we have. We’re having a season we haven’t seen in (years) and we know it. The only thing is to face it and prepare for the next game like we won. You can say that and go back and try to win the game.
“It’s just from us. They need our help, not the other way around. They’re doing everything right.”
