Ruben Amorim has vowed to help Marcus Rashford get back to his best – but said it is up to the Manchester United forward to take the lead and show he wants it.
Rashford scored the first goal of Amorim’s reign, and his 136th for the club, after just 81 seconds in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Ipswich.
But after scoring a career-best 30 in 2022/23, the England international struck just eight times in 43 matches last season and only scored one Premier League goal under Erik ten Hag this year.
Amorim fielded Rashford as a striker at Portman Road and believes it was tough for him to compete with Ipswich’s tall centre-backs but thinks the 27-year-old’s attitude will be the key part if he is to return to his top levels.
“I will try to help him,” pledged the new manager. “That position is not the best one for him, especially in a game like that, we have to kick with high pressure, we have to kick the ball so many times and it was like fighting with two giants. We’ll try to find the right solution for him, as for the other players.
“But he has to be Marcus, first of all, to try to return to that moment and then he will have all the help of the staff, the club and the fans because he’s a Manchester United boy. But he has to be the first one to want it.”
United have not been prolific, scoring only 13 goals in 12 league games this season and finishing Ten Hag’s two full campaigns with 58 and 57 respectively.
But Amorim denied he needs a new striker, instead looking to get more goals from players such as Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and captain Bruno Fernandes, as he focused on getting his current side to add a more potent streak.
He explained: “There is a concern in that but I think we have to improve as a team. Because we have quality players who can score so many goals.
“We will try to improve as a team and Rasmus and Josh and Rash will score more goals, even Bruno has to score more goals. Amad has to be better near the goal, all these guys need to improve and we can score so many goals. If I need a new striker scoring goals... we need to improve as a team and these players can score goals.”
