Shaun Wright-Phillips has detailed what he believes is the biggest problem hampering Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho at Manchester United right now, and it’s certainly not a lack of ability.
Rashford and Garnacho are two players who have not benefitted from Ruben Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford. The pair were left out of Amorim’s matchday squad for the Manchester derby two weekends ago, which Man Utd won through a dramatic late comeback.
Garnacho has since returned to the fold with a pair of substitute appearances in the defeats to Tottenham (League Cup) and Bournemouth. Rashford, meanwhile, has remained out in the cold.
When speaking to SportsCasting, former Manchester City player of the year, Shaun Wright-Phillips, highlighted what he believes is the biggest issue affecting the out-of-favour forwards.
Wright-Phillips pointed to Amorim’s customary 3-4-3 formation, with Rashford and Garnacho now lacking a natural position in the system.
“I think, not because of talent, but Rashford and Garnacho have got a problem because they’re not used to playing that 10 position, both of them are used to being very wide,” explained Wright-Phillips.
“He doesn’t play wide wingers; he plays with wing-backs, and I don’t think either of those two could be a wing-back.
“I think they’re going to find it hard to get into Amorim’s team in terms of attacking positions because I don’t think he knows his front two or three yet.
“Amorim has tried [Joshua] Zirkzee and Rasmus [Hojlund], and both are completely different sort of strikers.
“He messes around with the two number 10s, but I don’t think it is going to work for all of United’s attacking players unless he teaches them how to play that role.
“I can see Amorim bringing in a few of his own players in the summer or even in January if he can get them.”
Rashford and Garnacho have made their names by operating as wingers who are at their deadliest when cutting in off the flank and haring down on goal.
But in Amorim’s system, it is the wing-backs who provide the width. Elsewhere, Amorim prefers the two spots either side of the striker to be more creative-minded and technical players like Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount rather than wingers like Rashford and Garnacho.
Rashford has been put up for sale and looks a likely candidate to depart to help fund Man Utd’s rebuild.
As a homegrown player, the proceeds from Rashford’s sale would be logged as pure profit on the balance sheet.
