“Heard a couple of things…” Rio Ferdinand speaks on Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho snub

Rio Ferdinand has had his say on Rúben Amorim’s decision to leave Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho out of his Manchester United squad against Man City.

Manchester United‘s recent Premier League victory over Manchester City was somewhat overshadowed by the absence of Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford from the squad.

Rúben Amorim opted not to include either player, citing “small things” that did not meet his standards, though he was quick to clarify that the decision was not disciplinary.

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In their absence, Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes stepped up to score two late goals, sealing a 2-1 win for United at the Etihad Stadium. Manuel Ugarte and Lisandro Martínez were particularly lauded for their standout performances.

Despite the result, the omissions of Rashford and Garnacho have fuelled speculation about their futures, with reports suggesting Rashford could be available for £40 million in the summer.

Ferdinand’s assessment

Although Amorim was clear in stating that the decision was not a disciplinary problem, former United defender Rio Ferdinand has speculated that he feels that there will have been minor issues on the training ground that led to the decision.

Speaking on his Rio Presents podcast, he said: “This manager doesn’t seem to be the type of guy that will let stuff slide. He seems to be a very honest and straightforward guy. We saw Erik ten Hag do this early, going against players.

“But in time, the consistency wasn’t there across the board with other players. The squad then starts picking holes in that. I’d like to think it’s different with Amorim, he seems very direct, ‘you’re not playing – that’s it and that’s why’.

“I think in the training ground, he’s instructed all of his staff to keep their eyes open about everything. How do these players interact with all members of staff? How are they when I’m not in the room? He seems like a man of detail.

“He wants a harmonious environment. A proper culture of respect. I think he’s seen or heard a couple of things that he isn’t quite happy with. There’s something not related to football that I think has happened. They probably flippantly did not say hello to someone or have not been as warm to people.

“These little one-percenters add up to building a culture to win. If you let these go, the culture to win takes even longer. Every single detail, ‘I don’t like that, nail it’. Punctuality, respect for teammates, etc.”

He continued, saying: “I think something’s gone on in the training ground, and I’m not privy to that information, but for him to talk about things not related to football about why players aren’t in his squad that week, something’s happened off the pitch. He’s thought ‘that ain’t for me’. And by the way, I love it.”

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