S Poddar
Manchester United managed to scrape past Fulham with a victory on Sunday night, but Marcus Rashford was once again absent. The English forward remains in training with the squad despite his clear desire to leave, with West Ham emerging as a potential destination.
Following the match, head coach Ruben Amorim was asked about Rashford’s absence, especially in light of United’s bench lacking pace. His response was nothing short of brutal.
“It’s always the same reason,” Amorim said. “It’s about training, about what I believe a footballer should be doing every day. In training, in life—it’s about every little detail. And if things don’t change, neither will I.”
Making his position even more explicit, Amorim said, “This applies to every player. If you give your maximum effort and do the right things, you’ll get your chance. But you can see today, even when we lacked pace to change the game, I’d rather stick with what I have. I will put Vital on the bench before I pick a player who doesn’t give his all every day. I won’t change that.
Rashford remains United’s third-highest scorer in the Premier League this season, behind Amad Diallo, who had a goal ruled out for offside in this unconvincing win, and Bruno Fernandes. Joshua Zirkzee has scored only three, and Rasmus Hojlund two.
Amorim admitted the thin margins in football: “Sometimes you need a little luck. We’ve lost games where the performance wasn’t bad, but nobody cares because results are what matter. I remember chances we missed—against Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth—those early-game opportunities that could have changed everything.”
Speaking on United’s performance against Fulham, he confessed, “We still have a lot to improve. We didn’t play well with the ball, but we bought time. And if you give such talented players time, they can make that one decisive moment change the game. That happened today.
Strategically, he emphasized the importance of slowing the tempo of the game. “We knew when to slow everything down and take our time on a throw-in, recycle possession through our center-backs. Those small details make all the difference. They give us time to create opportunities for players like Bruno, Garna, and Amad. They will always find an opening. Our job is to keep the team patient enough to wait for that moment.
Luck played its part, as the shot was deflected, but Amorim remained practical. “We have had some games where fortune was against us, so today it was our turn. It has been a positive day for us all.
