Man United duo frozen out by Ruben Amorim raise serious question about manager's claim
Ruben Amorim's judgement is being questioned after he made the decision to freeze out two Manchester United stars who have recently displayed their worth elsewhere
The resurgence of Marcus Rashford and Antony since their departures from Manchester United has sparked debate about the club's atmosphere. Rashford - who was sidelined by Ruben Amorim - has found a new lease of life at Aston Villa after a January loan move.
The forward has even reclaimed his spot in the England squad thanks to his performances with Villa. And while United's last hope for silverware this season lies in the Europa League, the banished forward is set to compete in both the Champions League quarter-finals and FA Cup semi-finals.
Antony also fell out of favour under Amorim but has been impressing during his loan spell at Real Betis, with calls for his permanent signing growing louder. The Brazilian expressed that it's too early to consider his long-term future but called his move to Spain was "the best decision I've made."
Both Rashford and Antony are part of an increasing number of players who have thrived after departing Old Trafford. That contingent also includes Anthony Elanga, who recently scored Nottingham Forest's 1-0 winner against United on Tuesday.
Amorim's recent suggestion that the pressure of playing for a club like United can be overwhelming has been met with skepticism. Notably, Gary Lineker refuted this claim, highlighting Rashford's previous high-level performances for United, including a 30-goal haul in the 2022/23 season.
"I'm not buying that, I'm sorry," he said on The Rest Is Football podcast (via The Mirror). "If you're playing at any big football club, you need to be able to handle pressure to be there in the first place.
"People like Rashford, they've done it really well at certain times to prove that it's not that. I just think it's that seeping down from the top. The club gets in a bit of a mess, and it's all over the shop."
Former Liverpool and Villa defender Stephen Warnock recently shared his insights on Sky Sports as to why Rashford is thriving under Unai Emery. And he picked Emery out for special praise in getting the player back near his best.
"With that Manchester United team, I don't think he knew where to play," said the former full-back. "I don't think he (Amorim) knew how to get the best out of Marcus Rashford. This is a guy [Emery] who has looked at him and gone, 'I'll get the best of you.'
"His [Rashford's] understanding of the game is getting better. I've watched this guy (Emery) on the training pitch, and he is phenomenal. You actually see players realising, 'Wow, yeah, I didn't realise that.'"
Given that Amorim's preferred 3-4-3 formation doesn't suit either Rashford or Antony, it appears to be in everyone's best interest for them to seek permanent exits this summer. However, it wouldn't hurt the Portuguese coach to take a closer look at why there seems to be an increasing trend of outcasts thriving elsewhere.