Ole Gunnar Solskjær Blames Ruben Amorim for Marcus Rashfords Decline at Manchester United

Former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær hinted that Ruben Amorim mishandled Marcus Rashford’s situation, leading to his downfall and loan exit. Rashford, who scored Amorim’s first goal as manager, was later dropped and loaned to Aston Villa before reviving his form at Barcelona. Solskjær stressed managers must address players’ unhappiness privately.

When the Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim took charge of Manchester United in late 2024, his relationship with Marcus Rashford quickly soured. Although Rashford scored the first goal of Amorim’s tenure, he was dropped the following month and never played for the club again, later being loaned out to Aston Villa in January. Amorim cited Rashford’s poor application in training as the main reason for the fallout. 

However, since joining Barcelona on loan this season, Rashford has regained form and confidence, performing with renewed joy and freedom. Former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who oversaw Rashford’s most productive seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21, suggested that Amorim could have done more to understand and support the forward rather than let matters escalate publicly. Speaking on Stick to Football, Solskjær emphasized that it is a manager’s duty to identify when a player is unhappy and address the issue privately. 

He described Rashford as an “incredible player” when content and motivated. Solskjær also reflected on Jadon Sancho’s struggles at Manchester United, revealing that the winger suffered from an ear infection upon joining in 2021, which delayed his progress. The Norwegian regretted not getting enough time to help Sancho rediscover his best form before leaving the club.