Ruben Amorim vows to help Marcus Rashford find form for Man United but says star has 'to want it' himself'

Forward struggling for consistency despite scoring first goal of new manager's reign

Marcus Rashford has scored five goals in 19 Manchester United appearances this season. Reuters

New Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has vowed to help Marcus Rashford rediscover his best form but also warned that the player himself has “to want it” for it to become a reality.

Rashford started as a centre-forward in Amorim's first game since replacing the sacked Erik ten Hag as coach and scored after just two minutes in a game against Ipswich Town that ended in a frustrating 1-1 draw.

The 27-year-old was picked ahead of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee in the central role, netting only his second Premier League goal of the campaign.

Rashford managed just eight goals in 43 appearances across all competitions last season, a sharp drop in form after notching a career-best 30 in the 2022/23 campaign.

Amorim admitted that having Rashford lead the line on Sunday was probably not ideal but also insisted that it will be down to the player himself to find top gear again.

“I will try to help him,” said Amorim, who takes charge of his first game at Old Trafford against Bodo/Glimt in the Uefa Europa League on Thursday.

“That position is not the best one for him, especially in a game like that. We have to keep with high pressure, we have to kick the ball so many times and it was like fighting with two giants [in the Ipswich defence].

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  Manchester United's new manager Ruben Amorim on the touchline during the 1-1 Premier League draw with Ipswich Town at Portman Road on November 24, 2024. AFP

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  Manchester United supporters hold a good luck banner for new head coach Ruben Amorim. EPA

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  Marcus Rashford puts United 1-0 up. EPA

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  Ruben Amorim passes on instructions to Alejandro Garnacho. Getty Images

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  Ipswich Town's Omari Hutchinson is congratulated after scoring his side's equaliser. AP

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  Liam Delap of Ipswich Town flicks the ball towards goal. Getty Images

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  Andre Onana of Manchester United after a stunning stop to deny Liam Delap. Getty Images

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  Ipswich Town's Omari Hutchinson takes a free-kick. AP

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  Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim with his Ipswich counterpart Kieran McKenna in the background. Reuters

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  Singer Ed Sheeran celebrates after Omari Hutchinson's equaliser. Getty Images

“We’ll try to find the right solution for him, as for the other players. But it has to be Marcus, first of all, to try to return 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 has to be the first one to really, really want it.”

Goals have been a major problem for 12th-placed United so far this season with only the bottom two clubs – Crystal Palace (10) and Southampton (nine) – having scored fewer than the Red Devils 13 in the top-flight.

In the Europa League they have managed seven goals in four matches, having drawn three and won one, leaving them 15th out of 36 in the revamped competition.

“Of course, there is a concern in that but we have to improve as a team,” Amorim said. “Because we have quality players who can score so many goals.

“But you could feel it in the second half, we controlled possession of the ball but we were not dangerous. Maybe because we spent the week trying to work on build-up and then the rest was not working.

“We will try to improve as a team and Rasmus and Josh and Rash will score more goals, even Bruno [Fernandes] has to score more goals. Amad has to be better near the goal, all these guys need to improve and we can score so many goals.

“We need to improve as a team and these players can score goals.”

Amorim confirmed Lisandro Martinez is available to play against Bodo but fellow defender Harry Maguire is not back yet, nor is Leny Yoro.

The latter missed training on Wednesday as he did individual recovery work, as did Jonny Evans.

Captain Fernandes, meanwhile, has reiterated that the players had to accept responsibility for Ten Hag's exit from the club.

The Portugal midfielder revealed after the draw with Chelsea earlier this month that he had apologised to the former Ajax coach, saying he felt responsible for his sacking.

And on Wednesday, Fernandes again made it clear that it should be a collective responsibility at the club for the team's failures.

“If you change a manager mid-season it is because things are not going as you want and if the things are not going as you want then everyone has to take the blame,” he said.

“As I have said before, it is easier to get rid of a manager than 15 or 20 players, but now our focus is on what the future can bring and get as quick as possible the ideas of the new manager.”