Ruben Amorim, manager of Manchester United, spoke at the press conference before the match against Wolverhampton and many of the questions he was asked concerned Marcus Rashford: “I talk to him every day, not for the interview, but for the performances “.
Does the Rashford case risk distracting you?
“No, I don't think so. Not for me, not for the other players, because everyone is there every day during training and they understand. This is the key point for the media and for other people. I can't control it, but I'm very focused and the players know that I'm very clear in my message. Everyone at Carrington knows what I'm about and what I want from Marcus and everyone else, so it's not a distraction for us. Maybe it is for the media, but it's not my concern “.
What do you want to see from Rashford?
“Like any other player, the best he can give. If you have great talent, we need great performances, you have great responsibility, it takes great commitment. It's as if he has to push everyone forward at the moment and some guys have a great responsibility here because I have been here for a long time. It is perhaps one of the lowest moments of our club. So we have to face it and be strong at this moment, this is what I want from every player.”
Does Rashford want to play?
“Yes, it's my decision to leave him out, mine alone. He's trying. I talked to a lot of players individually during training, so I'm doing things my way and it's the only way I know. If I don't , I'll get lost. I know what I'm doing.”
Why are United 13th?
“It's a difficult question to answer. We have to know that we can't allow this to become normal. I understand that we say it's a difficult time, and it's my fault. From the first day I arrived, it's my fault because I'm responsible for the team We can't think about this, we have to think about improving, without thinking about what happened in the past. This is the present, and we know what we have to do for the future so that this doesn't happen again this football team.”
Are you worried?
“I know what I'm going to do, that's very clear to me. That's why I feel so relaxed, because I'm very frustrated like the fans, but I know what to do. We have to solve some problems step by step, finding answers for everything. It's a very moment difficult, the fans understand, and we will fight it.”
The festive calendar is different from that of the Portuguese championship.
“I just want to win, I don't care about Christmas. We have to win the next game, that's the only thing that matters. I think it's very good for the fans and we are privileged, so we can play on Boxing Day to give a little of happiness to the fans. And we want to win another match.”
Can you afford rotations?
“No, but at the moment it's not about rotation to see the players and prepare for the future. It's simply to avoid having injuries. De Ligt is ill, Maguire played 90 minutes against City. He can't play three days before because he has played 90 minutes for two or three months. He only did one half and 90 minutes against City. So we have to rotate during the week. Kobbie Mainoo is back from injury, so I have to think about whether he is ready to play both games at times I have to playing two games at the same time. Rasmus Hojlund played two games and the third we needed fresh legs. So we're trying to deal with everything.”
What is his goal?
“I just want to win matches because I know that there is a long-term project and that we are focused on that. But I also know that in big clubs you don't have much time and you have to win matches. I have a clear idea of the responsibility I have here, but I'm trying to manage the team so that we don't have injuries, it's a huge problem, so we try to win by managing the players.”
What do you feel like saying to the fans?
“I can't say better things for the fans. What I try to say to the fans is that we understand, I understand as a coach. I understand the moment, the frustration, the disappointment, I understand and we will improve. It will take time. I said the same thing here after Everton and people were talking about top four positions, so I know it will be very tough, but I think it's important for us that at this moment they support us. They are incredible.”
How do you deal with this moment you are experiencing?
“We are having a season that perhaps we haven't seen for many years and we know it. So the only way to deal with it is to prepare for the next game as if we had won, and then start again, trying to win a game. The fans need our help, not the other way around.
He knows Vitor Pereira well.
“He was a manager in Portugal, he won two titles, so I know he is an excellent coach. He will prepare the match, he will understand our moment, he too is in a difficult moment. He knows the big clubs, so he understands that it is very important for us difficult at the moment and we will try to take advantage of it.”
