Eamonn Sweeney: Does Ruben Amorim know what he's at?
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Irish Examiner
35 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Marcus Rashford claims Manchester United are stuck in ‘no man's land'
Marcus Rashford has offered a withering assessment of Manchester United's predicament, saying a lack of consistent playing principles since Sir Alex Ferguson stood down has left the club in 'no man's land'. The forward, on loan for the season at Barcelona from United, believes that despite repeated talk of transition, no transition has taken place and that the club will not be able to win the Premier League or achieve consistent success unless they make a plan and stick with it. Rashford was sidelined by Ruben Amorim, the sixth permanent United manager since Ferguson went 12 years ago. The England international came through the academy while Ferguson was in charge. 'Show me a successful team that just adapts,' Rashford told the Rest is Football podcast. 'When Fergie was in charge, not only the principles for the first team, the whole academy set-up so you could pick players from 15 years and over – that's a full generation. And they'd all understand the principles of playing the Man United way, right? 'You see it with any team that's been successful over a period of time: they have principles that any coach that comes in, any player that comes in, has to align to these principles or be able to add to these principles. Whereas at times I feel like United have just been … we're hungry to win, so we'll always try to adapt and to sign players that fit this system. But it's reactionary. 'If your direction's always changing, you can't expect to be able to win the league. Yeah, you might win some cup tournaments, but it's because you do have a good coach and you do have good players and you have match winners in your team – you're not there by accident. 'This is what some people forget. So yeah, we've been way below where we deem United to be. But then if you take a step back, which I've been able to do, especially over the last six months – what do you expect? People say we've been in a transition for years. To be in a transition, you have to start the transition. So it's like the actual transition's not started yet.' No United manager in the post-Ferguson era has been given three years. Rashford said the club could learn from Liverpool who, in 2020 under Jürgen Klopp, ended a 30-year wait for a top-flight title. Klopp joined in October 2015 and secured his first trophy in 2019. 'When Liverpool went through this, they got Klopp, they stuck with him,' Rashford said. 'They didn't win in the beginning. People only remember his final few years when he was competing with [Manchester] City and winning the biggest trophies – he certainly didn't win for three years. 'To start a transition, you have to make a plan and stick to it. So this is the thing that I feel – it's not easy. Because if it's not going well, the fans demand [change]. But this is where I speak about being realistic with what your situation is. "I feel like we've had that many different managers and different ideas and different strategies in order to win … you end up in the middle of – you end up in no man's land.' Guardian
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Marcus Rashford tells Man Utd ‘you can't expect to win' as he points out club's failures since Sir Alex Ferguson's exit
The forward told the club what they must do to improve MARC MY WORDS Marcus Rashford tells Man Utd 'you can't expect to win' as he points out club's failures since Sir Alex Ferguson's exit MARCUS RASHFORD has told Manchester United why they have failed to win the league since Sir Alex Ferguson left. The forward joined Barcelona on a season-long loan this summer and admits he has been "hurt" by United's plight - as a player and a fan. Advertisement 3 Marcus Rashford has identfied where Man Utd have gone wrong since Fergie left 3 The forward feels his time away from the club has helped him understand their shortcomings 3 Rashford believes Man Utd need to go through a proper transition period Play Dream Team now! Play The Sun Dream Team ahead of the 2025/26 season Free to play Over £100,000 in total prize money Play in Mini Leagues against your mates Submit a team for Gameweek 1 to enter £5,000 prize draw Play via Dream Team's app or website today! Rashford, 27, shared an honest assessment of what he believes has gone wrong at Old Trafford, claiming the club's approach has been too "reactionary" at times. He feels the club have had good players and managers since he came into the team, but it has not been enough to build a title-winning side. Rashford told The Rest is Football podcast: "Any team that has been successful over a period of time has principles that mean that any coach or player that comes in has to align to or add to the principles. "At times, United were hungry to win so we'll always try to adapt and to sign players that fit this system but it's reactionary. Advertisement READ MORE ON MAN UTD DEAL WITH THE DEVILS Man Utd 'hand Antony ultimatum to accept transfer or sit in stands' "If your direction is always changing you can't expect to win the league. "You might win some cup tournaments but it's because you do have a good coach and you do have good players and matchwinners in your team, but you're not there by accident. That's what some people forget. "We've been way below where we deem United to be but if you take a step back, which I've been able to do over the last six months, but what do you expect?" Rashford scored 138 goals in 426 games for United before leaving for Aston Villa on loan in January. Advertisement BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS His exit for a second time has led the Red Devils to overhaul their attack under Ruben Amorim, who led the club to a 15th-placed finish in his first season. But Rashford believes United need to fully commit to a transition period if they are going to compete at the top of the league - and that might mean going through a period of not winning silverware. Marcus Rashford back together with ex-fiancee Lucia Loi two years after they split as childhood sweetheart joins him in Barcelona He continued: "People say we've been in a transition for years. To be in a transition you have to start the transition. The actual transition hasn't started yet. Advertisement "When Liverpool went through this, they got [Jurgen] Klopp and stuck with him. They didn't win in the beginning. People only remember his final few years when he was competing with City and winning the biggest trophies. "To start a transition you have to make a plan and stick to it. "This is where I speak about being realistic about what your situation is. We've had that many different managers, ideas and strategies in order to win that you end up in no man's land."
Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
‘Perfect modern player': Hugo Ekitiké has all the attributes to thrive at Liverpool
Hugo Ekitiké is a £79m (€91.6m) striker who has swapped the Bundesliga for the Premier League champions and is preparing to test himself against the best defenders in England and Europe. Four years ago, he was struggling to make the breakthrough at his boyhood club Reims and was sent on loan to Denmark to learn about football and himself. Ekitiké arrived as an 18‑year‑old in the city of Vejle in January 2021 to join a club primed for a relegation battle, a world away from what he can expect at Liverpool. Although a naturally confident person, he took time to settle into life away from home. But it was quickly apparent Ekitiké possessed natural ability and electrifying pace with which to torment teammates in training and excite his manager. First, though, he needed to get up to speed with the Danish league and began with a cameo off the bench in a goalless draw against Aarhus. 'We put him on for the final 10 minutes as a striker and he didn't play very well, but that is normal,' the former Vejle head coach Constantin Galca says. 'You need a little time to adapt to the team. But the next game we put him left-wing. We saw before in the clips of him that he had good control, good speed. Before he was playing more as a striker, but we thought he would be dangerous on the wing. He's a perfect player for modern football because he has all the attributes: pace, skill, physicality and finishing.' Ekitiké showed for Liverpool on Sunday, in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace, why Galca thought he would be an asset on the wing. Although he started as the central striker, he cut in from the left and curled the ball into the corner for the opener. If Alexander Isak arrives from Newcastle in the next few weeks it could be a useful option for Arne Slot. At Vejle, Ekitiké's naivety was as obvious as his talent and he had to bide his time. It was almost two and a half months, during which he made four substitute appearances, before Ekitiké was given a start, at Odense. 'Denmark is a hard place to move to in winter for anyone,' Galca says. 'The days are short, the nights are long and it is very cold. But step by step, he spoke a little more. He became more settled in the environment and got to know his teammates. 'He worked very hard every day and earned the confidence of his teammates. He was very smart, learning and adapting to our philosophy very quickly.' Ekitiké became a big part of the dressing room. When the music played he was first up to dance, trying to encourage his more conservative Danish teammates to join in. He is remembered at the club for an infectious smile and was embraced, despite the pleasure he took in humiliating more experienced colleagues in training with his quick feet and dribbling prowess. At Reims the following season Ekitiké was better equipped to deal with everything. He scored 10 Ligue 1 goals and in July 2022 Paris Saint-Germain took him on loan before making the deal permanent a year later for €35m. He was transferred to Eintracht Frankfurt in 2024 for just under half that. Considering the figures for which the 23-year-old has been sold, it is surprising he is yet to make his full international debut, even allowing for the talent at France's disposal. The clubs have, in essence, paid for potential and Liverpool feel that if he continues at the same rate of progression he will become one of the world's leading marksmen. He scored 15 times in 33 Bundesliga games for Eintracht Frankfurt last season. 'It doesn't matter if he played facing or with his back to the goal, he always had a solution, regardless of the situation, whether he was close to goal or further back up the pitch,' Galca says. 'It proved he had good quality, because it is difficult to think of the solution before receiving the ball and then play fast when you get it.' Galca often used Ekitiké as a winger. The player's key contributions in the battle for survival included scoring twice in a crucial victory over Horsens and once in a draw with Odense. The trick for Galca was getting him to use his skills at the right time. Galca is head coach at Rapid Bucharest after an eclectic coaching journey and follows Ekitiké's progress closely. He spent most of his playing days in Spain and won 68 caps for Romania. During a spell managing Espanyol he had a young Marco Asensio on loan from Real Madrid. 'Marco was similar, playing at a very high level, but Ekitiké has more quality one against one,' he says. 'He works harder, he has better physical condition … He would always score more goals because he is the better finisher.' Vejle offered Ekitiké a grounding and an understanding of a different football world. He was smart enough to seize it and has taken this attitude to Anfield. Guardian
