Rio Ferdinand has shared why he believes Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho were ruled out of Sunday’s Manchester derby by new Man United manager Ruben Amorim.
Two of the Red Devils’ star players were sensationally dropped by the Portuguese manager ahead of the Etihad clash, with no room for any of the forwards in either the starting XI or the bench.
When answering questions about the snub before the game, Amorim stressed that it was just a “simple selection” and that, more cryptically, “pay attention to everything: the way you eat, the way you dress to go to the game. Everything’.
Amorim’s ruthless decision was finally vindicated on the pitch, with United coming from behind to snatch the three points from their crisis-hit city rivals.
Captain Bruno Fernandes helped mount his team’s late comeback after Josko Gvardiol scored in the second half to put Manchester City ahead, before Amad Diallo’s stunning late goal helped secure the vital victory.
But Ferdinand has suggested that to return to the team, both Rashford and Garnacho may have to raise their standards across the board, hinting that Amorim may have “heard or (saw) something he wasn’t happy with” off the pitch.
There was no room for Marcus Rashford or Alejandro Garnacho in the Man United derby
New coach Rubén Amorim made the ruthless decision, but did not specify the cause.
Man United did not appear to miss any of the players as Amad Diallo rose to the occasion to help the team secure three points against city rivals City.
“This manager doesn’t seem to be the type of person to put things aside,” the Manchester United legend said in his Rio presents podcast on Tuesday. “He seems to be a very honest and direct guy. We saw Erik ten Hag do this early, going against the players.
But over time, consistency was not present across the board with other players. Then the team starts looking for holes in that. I’d like to think that with Amorim it’s different, it seems very direct, ‘you’re not playing, that’s all and that’s why’.
‘I think in training camp, he ordered all his staff to keep their eyes open for everything. How do these players interact with all staff members? How are they when I’m not in the room? He seems like a detailed man.
‘You want a harmonious environment. An adequate culture of respect. I think you’ve seen or heard a couple of things that you’re not entirely happy with. There is something unrelated to football that I think has happened. They probably flippantly didn’t greet someone or weren’t as nice to people.
‘These little ones per center contribute to building a culture to win. If you let them pass, the culture to win will take even longer. Every detail, ‘I don’t like that, nail it.’ Punctuality, respect for colleagues, etc.’
Ferdinand admitted that he was “not aware” of what was happening at Carrington, but suggested that Amorim’s comments about non-performance-related behavior hinted at “something (happening) off the field.”
“And by the way, I love it,” added the expert.
After the final whistle, Amorim underlined his belief that neither player should consider the snub as a solution, but simply as an opportunity to fit even better into their place in their team.
Rio Ferdinand said he was impressed by Amorim’s call to have eyes everywhere when considering his selection
The Portuguese coach has insisted that the door is not closed for either of the two players after the snub
Rashford will be keen to move on and regain his strongest form under the 39-year-old.
‘It’s important to say why. “It wasn’t a disciplinary issue: next week, next game, new life,” he explained after the final whistle.
“They are fighting for places, but for me the performance in training, the performance in the game, the way of dressing, the way of eating, the way of relating to teammates, the way of trying hard, teammates are important. equipment.
‘Everything is important in our context at the beginning of changing many things, when people in our club are losing their jobs, we have to set the standards very high.
“For that they have to fight for a place in the team and today the team showed that we can leave anyone out of the team.” You can win if we play together.’
Mail Sport revealed on Tuesday night that the day after the derby, Rashford was sent home after training after a club doctor deemed he had a high temperature.
When he returns to Carrington, Rashford in particular will be eager to move on and prove his worth under the new head coach in Manchester, after sharing that he has turned his attention to his next move – a move away from his boyhood club.
In an explosive interview on Tuesday night, the 27-year-old spoke openly about leaving Old Trafford, where he has played for two decades, as a matter of “when”, not “if”.
“For me personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and next steps,” the 27-year-old told Henry Winter in a conversation posted on social media site ‘You’re not going to get any comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me as a person.’
After two decades at the club, Rashford appears to be considering leaving his boyhood team
Reinforcing his apparent view that he will leave the club at some point, Rashford added: “When I leave I will make a statement and it will be from me.”
The England international has been linked with a possible move abroad in recent seasons, with Paris Saint-Germain being a particularly ardent suitor.
Rashford will be eager to regain his excellent form from the 2022-23 season, which has dipped a bit of late.
But the player was quick to show his new manager that his game is still full of quality when he scored the first goal of the Amorim era last month against Ipswich after just 80 seconds.