Manchester [UK], December 24 : Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim admits it was his decision to drop the club's talismanic forward Marcus Rashford from the starting XI and claims he is fully aware of the consequences of his actions.
Rashford has been a household name in Manchester, often the first name on United's squad list under various managers prior to Amorim.
However, the dynamic shifted when Amorim made the surprising decision to drop Rashford from the squad ahead of their Manchester derby victory on December 15.
Amorim revealed that while Rashford is eager to play, he has decided to stick with his decision and keep him on the sidelines for the time being.
"Yeah, it's my decision. He wants to play, he's trying, but it's my decision, only my decision. I spoke with a lot of players, individually and during training. I'm doing this my way, and it's the only way I know. If I don't do that, I lose myself, and I don't want to lose myself. I know what I'm doing," Amorim said, as quoted by Sky Sports.
Despite Rashford's omission, Amorim assured that the rest of the team remains unaffected by the decision.
"Like any other player, the best that they can be. If you have big talent, big performance, big responsibility, push forward everybody in this moment. Some guys have a big responsibility here because they are here for a long time," he added.
Since Amorim took over, Manchester United have lost four out of nine games across all competitions. Their current form also works against them, with the club winless in their past two matches, suffering defeats to Tottenham and Bournemouth.
Amorim assured that Manchester United will improve, but stressed that it will take time, adding, "We will improve, it will take time. I said the same thing after we beat Everton, and people were talking about the top four. So I know it's going to be really tough, but it's important for us, in this side, to say to the supporters we understand, I understand."