Diogo Dalot has revealed what Rúben Amorim told the Manchester United players who aren’t taking part in pre-season.
Rúben Amorim left Sporting CP at the top of the league and joined a struggling Manchester United side that eventually finished in 15th place in the Premier League, leading many to question aspects of his management skills.
Several former first-team players have had disagreements with the manager and have since been banished from Amorim’s squad, even though they haven’t yet left the club.
Marcus Rashford was the first to fall out with the manager, leading to his six-month loan at Aston Villa and his new season-long loan at Barcelona.
Alejandro Garnacho was another to disagree with Amorim, notably calling out the Portuguese coach in the aftermath of United’s Europa League final loss to Tottenham Hotspur. The Argentine missed out on the pre-season squad, but has yet to find a new club.
While many fans will miss seeing players like Garnacho and Rashford in the squad, Amorim has reportedly made his expectations for the first-team squad clear, as well as his messages to the group before the start of the new season.
Dalot reveals Amorim’s pre-season message
Diogo Dalot has been a key part of Amorim’s squad since the manager arrived from Sporting, even though he has had to compete for minutes with Amad and Noussair Mazraoui on the right-hand side.
He has also been speaking about Amorim’s messages to the group, explaining what Amorim will have told Antony, Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia, Jadon Sancho, and Rashford before then choosing to exile them from the first team.
“He is very clear on his messages that you want to be a part of the team, or you cannot be here,” said the Portuguese defender.
“If you want to be in Manchester United, you need to match some standards. If you’re not able to match it, it’s not a place for you.”
“The message is really clear. The message was that if you started the preseason, it’s because he believes that we are the group that needs to come.”
Amorim sets the standards
In the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at Old Trafford, United have struggled to keep the squad together long enough to push for a Premier League title, with issues with star players over the years.
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No matter the manager, nobody has been able to cope with the attitude of some players, with almost every boss experiencing an issue. However, Amorim may have turned this around with the departures set to happen this summer.
Just two years ago, Garnacho and Rashford were among the key players at the club, but now both are set for permanent moves away from the club, showing that Amorim is in control of the playing squad.
The manager finally seems to be in charge of the club, arching back to days under Ferguson when the players were annoyed at every loss and ready to fight until the very end for every last point. Could that finally be back at Old Trafford?
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