Where Rashford and Garnacho are struggling on the pitch as Amad thrives under Amorim

Ruben Amorim made his first major decision as Manchester United head coach before Sunday’s Manchester derby when he left Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho out of the squad. The Portuguese said the call was made after evaluating multiple factors, including performances in matches and training.

In their absence, Amad and Bruno Fernandes featured as the two No 10s after Mason Mount’s 14th-minute injury. Both scored late on as United came from behind to beat Manchester City 2-1.

Amad, who won the penalty that Fernandes converted, added to a series of strong recent performances and, among outfield players, only Diogo Dalot (450) and Fernandes (412) have played more Premier League minutes since Amorim’s arrival than Amad (404). He also has four assists and a goal in that time.

Yesterday, Rashford spoke publicly for the first time about being dropped for the derby. In an interview posted on X by English football journalist Henry Winter, Rashford said it was “disheartening” and when asked whether he is now more likely to stay or leave the club, Rashford replied: “For me, personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps.”

The 27-year-old also spoke of the challenge of fitting into Amorim’s system, saying playing out on the left “suits me best” but that in Amorim’s 4-2-3-1 formation: “The left 10 still suits me but you have to adapt your game.”

Here we explore whether that is the case and what, if he stays, Rashford and Garnacho will need to do to excel in Amorim’s system.

The Amad example

To understand what Amorim wants of Rashford and Garnacho it is worth looking at how Amad excelled outside of his most notable contributions.

United’s reaction to going behind against City was indicative of what Amorim wants from his team.

Over the past few seasons, particularly away from home against the traditional ‘Big Six’, United have responded to conceding by making the game transitional. They would increase the tempo of attacks, which left gaps between their attack and defence, resulting in high-quality opportunities for their opponents.

In contrast, against City on Sunday United emphasised control and kept the ball as their rivals fell into a compact shape, both teams waiting to see who blinked first. City eventually pushed up and United remained composed to create an opening.

Amad’s movement in this clip sees him start out wide before drifting inside between the lines to switch the play, taking out three City players.

He continues his run forward to meet Fernandes’ cross, forcing a good save from Ederson.

Amad is never stationary during this sequence and constantly monitors the movements of the opposition and his team-mates.

His positioning caused indecision for City’s makeshift left-back Matheus Nunes, who at times could not decide whether to press up or hang back.

Amad’s rotations with right wing-back Noussair Mazraoui, who inverted and overlapped based on the forward’s movement, were important too. The duo have developed a promising partnership on the right, which has contributed to Amad’s form.

What does that mean for Rashford and Garnacho?

The shape of United’s front line towards the end of the sequence above, with Fernandes and Amad operating in the half-spaces and Rasmus Hojlund down the middle and the wing-backs stretching the pitch is crucial to Amorim’s system.

This requires No 10s who cut inside, are comfortable dribbling and passing out of tight pockets, and possess the positional awareness to know where to be without the ball. Amad has shown he can consistently put those qualities together.

As the graph below shows, only 18 per cent of his progressive carries in the league and Europa League have seen him go away from goal. That number stands at 27 per cent for Garnacho and 26 per cent for Rashford.

Amad’s preference to consider his options rather than charge forward also separates him from Rashford and Garnacho, both of whom like to use their pace to beat defenders.

United will need that pace during the second half of the season, particularly if they start Joshua Zirkzee up front. But as they adapt to Amorim’s system, the emphasis must be on more composure and less sloppiness in possession.

Before United’s Europa League match against Viktoria Plzen last Thursday, Amorim said: “You have to play the ball preparing to lose the ball sometimes.

“You can tell in the past and still at this moment, you can see a lot of moments like this (conceding goals from counterattacks after an error)… We are trying to improve with the ball but also preparing the way we lose it, you are covering your own goal.”

Those comments hint at the need for a rest defence — this means the positioning of defenders when a team attacks — without compromising on attacking play, for which composure is a pre-requisite.

In the second half against Plzen, with the score at 1-1, Amad displayed that composure after United won the ball in their own box. Upon receiving a pass from Fernandes, he looked up to see five Plzen defenders back and only Hojlund in support. Amad opted to hang back and allow his team-mates to get forward.

The move resulted in a chance for Hojlund after Plzen left gaps while retreating.

This composure has been present in United’s build-up as well. Amad has started 77 sequences in the middle third in five league games under Amorim, compared with 39 for Garnacho and 23 for Rashford in four appearances each.

Amad constantly shows for the ball and directs team-mates to pass into specific areas, which helps United’s on-pitch organisation.

The snap below from the win against Plzen illustrates how Amad fits the No 10 role better than Rashford, who lined up as the left attacking midfielder. Fernandes can be seen signalling for one of Tyrell Malacia and Rashford to drop, with Malacia eventually doing so.

Rashford did drop back to receive the ball at times, but to minimal effect.

Garnacho has shown more promise in this regard, but his decision-making has repeatedly let him down. Both players look to push the pace upon receiving the ball and are slow to recover when they lose it, leaving spaces for opponents to exploit.

Wanted: Reading of space, productive bursts, conserving energy

Among United’s forwards, Amad has lost possession 11.8 times per 90 in the league under Amorim, behind only Zirkzee, who has done so 12.8 times while playing less than half the minutes (169 to Amad’s 404). But Amad has enjoyed a 59 per cent success rate on six take-on attempts per 90 — some distance ahead of the second-best forward (Garnacho with 29 per cent success on 2.8 attempts) — while his positioning means he is better “prepared to lose the ball”, as Amorim discussed.

Defensively, Amad has offered more than Rashford and Garnacho in tackles, duels, and recoveries as the table below shows.

(Note: “adjusted” metrics refer to performance of that action, i.e. tackles or interceptions, per 1000 opponent touches)

Rashford’s inconsistencies in pressing from the front are well documented. Garnacho has shown promise in this area but is a maverick who plays at a high tempo. He has started matches brightly under Amorim before fading away in the second half.

In his past four matches, Garnacho has started twice but been taken off before the hour-mark and come off the bench twice.

His pressing is focused on the ball, which makes it easy for teams to bypass him with a blindside run. The clip below from United’s match against Ipswich Town is an example as he does not see Sam Morsy slip behind him to collect Axel Tuanzebe’s pass and launch an attack, with Garnacho slow to react after the ball reaches Morsy.

Amad, in contrast, has conserved energy and an astute reading of space, allowing him to make the kind of productive bursts that led to both United goals against City.

Given United’s involvement in four competitions, Garnacho and Rashford, should he stay, will receive opportunities to play, but we have seen in these early matches what it is about Amad’s skill set that matches up with how Amorim wants his side to play.

(Top photo: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)