The two seniors of the Man Utd squad let their feelings towards new manager Ruben Amorim known to all after the Portuguese took over his first training session yesterday.
Amorim had to wait for his work visa to be approved before he could conduct any business on the training ground just over a week after his official announcement.
Monday was that first session in which quite a few first-team and potential first-team players took part despite it being the international break. The likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Amad, Mason Mount, Antony, Leny Yoro, Tyrell Malacia as well as the aforementioned Rashford and Casemiro, who also happen to be two of the highest paid players, were all at Carrington to welcome Amorim to his new home.
The pair took to social media to voice their opinions of the new boss:
Both obviously quite happy with the new boss.
And why shouldn't they be? I suppose we shouldn't be expecting anything less as they will want to impress Amorim as much as possible and in any way as possible.
The two of them have been well below par for such a long time, it's difficult to remember the last time they were consistently good.
Rashford does have decent numbers for the season (4 goals and 3 assists) and since the sacking of Erik ten Hag, Casemiro has been a player reborn as he's displayed some of the form he showed in his first season at the club. The Brazilian has also been in the goals since Ruud took over with 2 strikes coming in that 5-2 win over Leicester.
But that's what I actually wanted to talk about: a lack of reaction to ten Hag's departure.
As I said, we can expect the players to be quite happy and perhaps even impressed with the new manager. As he is new, they will want to make him feel welcome and will most likely put some positive comments out there for all (perhaps even including the manager) to see. With Amorim's style being something completely new for everyone, they will have had some fun at having to do something different, something they've never done before.
These are all reasons for them to feel quite happy.
But when Erik ten Hag was sacked, most of the players thanked the former manager for all he did for them and the club by posting a message on their socials,
except for Marcus Rashford and Casemiro.
Now I know I said that most of the squad thanked ten Hag rather than all of them but as Rashford and Casemiro are two of the senior players, you would expect something from them regardless of the relationship.
Some professionalism was warranted.
Both those players arguably had their best seasons as footballers under Erik ten Hag.
Rashford's numbers of 30 goals and 11 assists was his best-ever in terms of output at United. That was in 22/23, ten Hag's first season.
The best and most complete version of Casemiro I've EVER seen was when he came to United, in 22/23, ten Hag's first season.
The way the ex-manager also backed Rashford and picked him regardless of form was actually a little frustrating because there were a lot of times (especially over the last year) where the number 10 deserved to be dropped. His performances have been poor for so long that he really shouldn't have been starting/playing as much as he did.
Yet there he was in the next lineup all because of the manager. Every time ten Hag was asked about Rashford, the Dutchman backed him and spoke glowingly about him.
So with all of this, I find it hard that they didn't say anything about ten Hag after he was let go.
Yes I know that things can go pear-shaped despite a wonderful start as they had in ten Hag's first season, but even still, that professionalism should've taken over and a simple thank you should've been put out there.
The fact that Casemiro put on his Instagram "Forever grateful. Legend" and a picture of him and Ruud van Nistelrooy hugging showed what he thought about the interim boss. That post was liked by quite a few people and players, including one Marcus Rashford.
I'm not sure whether Rashford himself put something (at least on his Instagram story) to thank the former assistant but it was clear that he and the rest of the squad had quite an affection for Ruud.
This isn't something unknown as there were even reports that the players wanted Ruud to stay to some capacity once Ruben Amorim joined.
Sky Sports said that "there is a swell of support to keep the 48-year-old at Carrington in some capacity after his period as interim manager ends."
Clearly, some of the players had something for Ruud that which they didn't have for ten Hag.
I find all of this speculation of whether the likes of Rashford and Casemiro actually liked ten Hag (at least by the end) a little unnecessary. Just thank him and move on which removes any of these sort of negative thoughts.
Whether you yourself liked the Dutchman, you can still appreciate all that he did for the club. First trophy in six years, two trophies in two seasons, integrating and developing the likes of Mainoo and Garnacho, and the improvement of those such as Dalot, Shaw, and Rashford and Casemiro.
It makes one think that they only like things their way, that they can only perform when things are as they want.
Rashford has been through several managers and we've seen this inconsistent form from him before. This is the first time Casemiro has experienced something like this at United but even still, to have two respected, experienced, well-known, well paid players not even say a word regarding the former manager is quite something.
I know that they're not the only two but again, they're senior players which puts a bit more eyes on them. The responsibility they have is more than the younger players like Amad, who also didn't put anything up to thank ten Hag.
I feel like with Amad there was more of a reason for him to not do so because of how he was treated. He was hardly in the team under ten Hag post his injury last season and was surprisingly dropped despite a great start to this season. Amad was also performing during these periods which made his omission from the side that much more perplexing.
Amad's reaction in that draw at Fenerbahce when he had to replace the injured Antony who had to be substituted after playing just 17 minutes said it all.
But compared to Rashford and Casemiro, there was more of a reason to drop or substitute them as their form was pathetic. ten Hag and Ruud both substituted Rashford quite a lot this season and even asked him to play out of position on the right to accommodate for Garnacho on the left.
This showed that even they were unhappy with his performances, a player that like I said, Erik ten Hag backed to the hilts.
Casemiro has been just as poor for so long yet he felt that it was just his performance against Liverpool that was an issue in which he (rightfully) said that the entire team was not good:
“It was just the Liverpool game, right? The whole team wasn't good in that game”.
“I think it's been a good season for me. I want to keep improving, to help my teammates and the coach, to help Manchester United" via Fabrizio Romano.
Yeah, if he thinks he's been good this season, we (and he) has a problem.
Admittedly he did improve from that Liverpool game but to be honest, it's not as if he had to do much to improve, and he has been better since ten Hag was sacked.
But why does he need things like that to happen to actually perform? What we're seeing now should be the level week in, week out. The fact that a manager getting sacked causes you to play well may be something that Amorim should be careful of.
The new boss should also not take these 'top training' and 'top session today' comments as a sign that these two players are on his side. For now yes, but we've been down this road so many times before.
I don't think many are falling for this again.
Speaking of the 'top training session', it did look pretty good. However, that is one training session and most of the squad weren't even there.
I don't think anyone should lose their shit over it and think we have the next Pep Guardiola because this is a process and will take time. Of course I hope that Amorim will be successful (please, for fuck sakes be successful 🙏😩) but let's not get too carried away.
This post went on a little longer than I expected. Didn't realize that this sort of thing got to me as much as it did. I guess it's just a frustration because we've seen this type of thing from our players many times before and we know how it ends. It kind of reminds of those 'winning team' pictures. Remember those? We would get pumped by Liverpool only for them to do those stupid poses and say 'winning team' the next day, like that was supposed to make us forget the absolute shit show in the last game.
These guys don't read the room and think we're completely blind. Perhaps we were once, but no longer.
We'll see in a year's time (or sooner) whether they're saying 'top session' about Amorim and his training methods.
Or whether it will be the usual 'they don't like his training methods' or 'it's too hard on the players.' 'We want Ruud back.'
You know how it goes.
What do you think about these comments by Rashford and Casemiro?
Background Image: Ruben Amorim in his first Man Utd training session | Image via Manchester United official X (@ManUtd)