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New Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has demanded the club improves “standards” after Casemiro and Marcus Rashford drew criticism for their decisions to travel to America during the international break.
The high-profile duo, two of the biggest earners at Old Trafford, were granted five days off in the two-week window. Rashford, 27, chose to attend an NBA match at Maddison Square Garden in New York while the 32-year-old Casemiro took his family to Orlando for a family holiday at Disney World.
Both players had permission from the club to take the time off without any instructions on what not to do with their holiday. However, Amorim’s response to their choices suggests it’s an approach that will no longer be tolerated under his watch at United.
Gary Neville contended “it’s not right” the experienced duo chose to fly to America with their free time given the physical toll such a journey imposes on the body, at a time when United are struggling so acutely on the pitch.
Amorim defended this choice given both had been granted permission, instead indicating blame should lie with the club for not imposing better “standards” with stricter rules.
“They received information of ‘five days off’ and they are big boys, they have kids, so they decide what to do,” Amorim told Neville during an interview for Sky Sports. “The main question here is, as a club, we have to set the standards, we have to manage that. It’s my decision if they can have five days, as a coach, or three days, or it’s three days to rest and you cannot fly. This is something, as a club, we have to decide.”
The Portuguese coach was then asked whether he felt five days off during a mid-season international break was excessive.
“For me, yes, for sure. But we cannot put this on the players. (The United hierarchy) told them they have five days off so they can fly anywhere, because nobody in the club said, ‘You cannot fly’. So they have to live their lives because they are grown men and they have to decide these things. But as a club, we have to change these standards.”
And Amorim was adamant that criticism of Casemiro and Rashford was unfair, stating “we cannot this time put that on Rash or Cassa. They received information ‘five days off, do what you like’, so we have to as a club set better standards, and we will try to do that.”
This tactful approach by the 39-year-old coach should be hugely promising for United fans, as the comments over professionalism and standards by the previous incumbent, Erik ten Hag, were often accurate, but abrasive in their articulation.
Reports of players’ discontent with Ten Hag’s public criticisms of the dressing room were rife throughout the Dutchman’s tenure, with multiple stars said to be unhappy with the former Ajax manager’s responses in press conferences.
Amorim’s initial test over this issue has seen him instead blame the club’s culture, rather than focus on individuals – a massive improvement on Ten Hag’s blunt approach, and one which will only endear the new manager to his players, rather than alienate them.
The United dressing room will be under no illusions over the standards their new leader expects them to abide by; he just won’t publicly bash them for failing to achieve it. Anyone hoping for a trip to the US in the near future should probably ask their airline for a refund, however.
Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
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