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Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim says he will ‘continue my idea until the end’ as he explains Marcus Rashford absence
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Updated 27/12/2024 at 12:17 GMT
Marcus Rashford was once again ignored by Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim, this time for the defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Boxing Day in the Premier League. Speaking after the loss, the Portuguese suggested that he had not seen a sufficiently committed response from Rashford to merit being included in the matchday squad.
'We just have to survive,' say Amorim as Man Utd drift backwards in league table
Video credit: SNTV
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim says he is determined to "continue with my idea until the end" despite another loss, this time to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Marcus Rashford was once again absent, and the United boss was quizzed about the England forward yet again after the defeat.
Rashford was dropped by Amorim for the Manchester derby on December 16 and the England forward has not made his way back onto the pitch since.
That decision was followed by an interview where Rashford said that he felt it was time for a new start.
Amorim subsequently told press that he could offer Rashford a fresh start with his tenure at United, and said he hoped to improve the player’s performance level.
But speaking to Amazon Prime, Amorim suggested Rashford’s absence against Wolves meant there had not been enough reason to bring him back.
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Amorim said: "It's always the same reason it's going to be.
"We have to be the same professionals, the same guys, winning or losing. Losing, I have to be stronger. I will continue with my idea until the end."
Asked if Rashford had shown a response to being dropped, the Portuguese added: "If he's not here, you can make your mind up."
'WE JUST HAVE TO SURVIVE' - PRESSURE ON AMORIM AFTER ROCKY START
Amorim was disappointed with the defeat at Molineux, with United down to 10 men on 47 minutes after captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off for the third time this season.
Amorim said: "Of course, when you lose, when we don't win, it's a step back.
"It was really hard with the sending off. The goal was similar against Tottenham. Then, we tried. Even with one less guy we tried and I think we were near something but then Wolves scored the second one.
"Then, in the end, we tried everything and the transition was 2-0. For us, let's continue."
Of the red card, he explained: "It's so tough to win games in this league with 11 men. With 10 men, it's more difficult. We have to focus on that."
The defeat, a fourth in five league matches, saw United plummet to 14th in the top flight table, just eight points clear of the relegation zone.
Qualifying for a place in Europe now appears an uphill task, with Amorim cagey about the possibility.
"We have to work on a lot of things in our club, inside the pitch, outside the pitch, so let’s focus on each game, each time," he said. "We have to use every minute of training and to improve the team."
The Boxing Day defeat also handed Amorim an unwanted accolade: he became the first Red Devils manager to lose as many as five of his first 10 games at the club since Walter Crickmer in 1932.
Amorim blamed a lack of time with his players since arriving at the club for the difficult start to his tenure.
"They need time to train, they are completely changing the way of playing, it is really hard on them and for the staff to pass on all the information. When you don’t have results, it’s even harder for them to believe," the former Sporting CP boss said.
"In this moment we just have to survive and to win some time to work on the team. We already knew it.
"I started this job, with the team, the new idea, without any time to train, with a lot of tough games. It is a long journey. We have to continue to fight these bad moments. We need time to work. We also have to win games to sell the idea to the players. If not, it is really hard."
United’s next game is a home tie against Newcastle on Monday, December 30.
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