- 2 hours ago
Fabrizio Romano reveals TRUTH as Amorim axes Garnacho and Rashford
Robin Bairner
- 16 Dec 2024 00:54 CST
- 4 min read
Fabrizio Romano has revealed the truth behind Ruben Amorim’s decision to drop Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford from the Manchester United squad for Sunday’s clash against Manchester City.
Man Utd piled the misery on Pep Guardiola’s side with a 2-1 victory at the Etihad Stadium as late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo saw the Red Devils claim a shock success against the defending Premier League champions, but Garnacho and Rashford were nowhere to be seen in the squad.
Amorim took the decision to drop both entirely from the squad, with Romano explaining the background behind the new head coach’s bold call, which paid off handsomely.
Compared
Marcus Rashford
F (CL), M (L)
Man Utd
Marcus Rashford
F (CL), M (L)
Man Utd
VS
Alejandro Garnacho
F (L), M (RL)
Man Utd
Alejandro Garnacho
F (L), M (RL)
Man Utd
|
|
ETV |
|
| €40.6M - €67.7M | ETV Range | €27.8M - €46.4M |
| 27 years old (31 Oct, 1997) | Age | 20 years old (01 Jul, 2004) |
|
England
|
Nationality |
Argentina
|
“The big bomb came before the match,” Romano told his YouTube channel. “Ruben Amorim decided not to include Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford in the squad for the derby. Not just in the starting XI, not even on the bench. This was the technical decision of Amorim.”
Romano explained that it came down to the pair’s attitude in training.
“It’s been a complicated couple of days at Man Utd. It’s been tense. I mean in terms of training,” he said.
“Amorim is really serious and strong. In public, he’s always smiling and nice, but in private when it’s time to work, especially when there’s not much time to work with the squad... Amorim considers training really crucial. His starting XI is always based on what he sees in training. It’s not about the name or the salary. Work hard, you play. Don’t work hard, you don’t play.
“The result of this mentality is quite clear: he doesn’t see that kind of approach from Garnacho and Rashford. Man Utd’s season is nothing special, but he wants to see from his players who are the ones who can be part of the future project.”
Is there a way back for Garnacho and Rashford?
The fallout of this could be far reaching for both players, with Romano hinting that it could see them ultimately transfer listed by the club.
“What’s gone on is that Garnacho and Rashford are not part of the squad for the Manchester derby, but it’s also important to say this could have consequences of their future,” Romano continued.
“For Garnacho, the situation has always been quiet. Nothing really in terms of links or discussions. Let’s see how he will handle this.
“For Rashford, it’s not the first time that he’s faced this situation. What’s going on is that Manchester United will talk to the player and let’s see what happens. We’ve heard many things about an exit for Rashford. Man Utd haven’t received any concrete bids.
“Amorim believes that 2025 will be a crucial year and that Man Utd will need to change many things, to refresh the squad, and seeing the approach of the players is absolutely crucial for the coach. He’s not scared about making unpopular decisions like this one.”
Man Utd sporting director latest
Romano also explained what Man Utd’s stance is when it comes to hunting for a new sporting director.
“We’ve had reports that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is looking for a new director after the decision to part ways with sporting director Dan Ashworth. There’s been many links, but at the moment I don’t have any information linking them with any other sporting director,” he said.
“Man Utd are seriously considering going with the current structure, with Jason Wilcox, who was taking care of the negotiations for Diego Leon.
“Man Utd are not talking to any other candidates and there’s a strong possibility going with the current structure at least until the summer.”
