Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has pledged to help Marcus Rashford rediscover his best form, but stressed the player must also “really want it”.
Rashford scored 30 goals in all competitions during the 2022/23 season, having also reached the 20-goal mark in both 2019/20 and 2020/21. But the 27-year-old has struggled to reach those previous levels over the past 18 months.
There had been hope that fresh energy and new ideas following Amorim’s appointment could be a catalyst Rashford even scoring in the first two minutes of Sunday’s clash with Ipswich Town. But United were unable to capitalize on that early lead and ended up drawing 1-1.
For Rashford, operating in a central ‘number nine’ position, a role he has previously struggled to thrive in, it became a battle with the Ipswich defense that he did not win.
“I’ll try to help him,” Amorim said. “That’s not the best position for him, especially in a game like this. We have to keep the pressure high, we have to throw the ball so many times and it was like fighting two giants (Ipswich centre-backs).
“We will try to find the right solution for him, as for the rest of the players. But it has to be Marcus, first of all, to try to get back to that moment. Then he will have the help of all the staff, the club and the fans because he’s a Manchester United boy, but he’s got to be the first to really want it.”
Amorim tea rejected calls from fans and the media United will sign a new striker to address their lack of goals this season, insisting there is already enough quality in the squad. This ties aa recent report that the club is not looking to engage in any kind of major overhaul in order to break a cycle of costly rebuilds, rather than tasking Amorim with unlocking existing potential.
