Man Utd legend Teddy Sheringham thinks new head coach Ruben Amorim must get Marcus Rashford on his side “very, very quickly” in order to have a successful time at Old Trafford.
Amorim was appointed on November 1 after the Red Devils sacked Erik ten Hag earlier that week, while he had to wait until last Monday to begin work after taking charge of his last Sporting Lisbon match against Braga before the international break.
And now Amorim can get to work fixing Man Utd with the Red Devils currently 13th in the Premier League table after a disastrous start to the new season.
Ten Hag’s side won three of their first nine Premier League matches before interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy put another four points on the board in their last two fixtures.
Rashford has been underperforming since the 2022/23 season, when he scored 30 goals in all competitions, and Sheringham reckons it’s vital that Amorim gets the Man Utd forward “on board” and firing to have a successful first campaign.
Sheringham told Best Offshore Sportsbooks: “I’m looking at these United players, and hey might not know it or think it, but they need to be led. Marcus Rashford needs to look at a manager and think, ‘I like the way he’s talking; I like his vibe, I understand exactly what he wants, and we need to go out and do it. I’m going to lead from the front.’
“Younger players would then look at Rashford and think, ‘If you’re going to show me how it’s done, I’m following you as well. Come on, let’s all go together.’
“He’s got to get the top players on his side very, very quickly.
“Rashford is your main example because everyone looks to him. He’s the one that’s going to score your goals, going to make goals, and he’s the one that people look at and go, ‘He ain’t at it, is he?’
“So, he needs to get him on board and get him leading from the front. He’s not a young lad anymore. He’s an experienced player. It’s funny how quickly you change from a young lad to an experienced ever-present player. All of a sudden, you’re experienced, you look around the changing room and you’re expected to lead.
“He’s played for England many times and he should be leading from the front and he’s not doing that at Man United. That needs to change. He’s got to get the top players on his side very, very quickly.”
When asked how promising was the victory that Amorim got over Man City in the Champions League, Sheringham replied: “Without a doubt, that comprehensive victory over Manchester City was a promising sign.
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“I don’t think it means a lot in the bigger picture of when Manchester City play Man United because he’s got a lot of work to do to get them performing the way that Sporting have been performing.
“It’s not undoable. It’s a tough job to get everybody on side and to get them working exactly how you want them. That’s why they’ve gone out and got him because they’ve looked at every Sporting player and they’re all playing out of their skin. They’re playing at the top of their game.
“You look at Manchester United and you ask me which players you need to get going. It’s every single one of them. You could look at every one of those players and go, none of them are performing to their capabilities.
“None of them are performing 10 out of 10 every week. Probably the best you might get is a 7.5 or an 8 out of 10 once every few weeks, but that ain’t good enough. Amorim will want every single player doing their bit, then as a team, collectively, that makes you even better and stronger. That’s what he’ll be looking for, for the team to be performing as a unit.”
On what the short-term objective for Amorim is, Sheringham added; “It will be very, very evident if Amorim’s got things right in the first place. The work ethic is the main thing.
“He needs to get that cohesion into the team. He needs the players all working in unison. To do that, he’s going to have to be a good communicator who can get his points across to his players and help them understand what he demands of them as a manager.
“If he’s had that impact, you should see an immediate spark in the team and the way they play.
“In terms of new signings, potentially the money’s been spent. Amorim is inheriting what is essentially Ten Hag’s squad, there’s going to be guys in there that he’s not going to want, so it will take time to build the squad that he wants. I would love to see United be ambitious and try to make a couple of exciting signings in January if they have the budget to do it.”
