Ruben Amorim axed two of the three stars that ‘let Man Utd down’ against West Ham

Manchester United faced West Ham on Sunday in a repeat of the fixture that saw Erik ten Hag sacked earlier this season, with the Dutchman’s successor Ruben Amorim seemingly heeding his words

Ruben Amorim has cut ties with two of the three Manchester United stars who ‘let Erik Ten Hag down’ when the Red Devils were beaten by West Ham in 2024. Ten Hag was finally sacked as head coach of the Red Devils in late October following a woeful start to the season.

Less than 24 hours before his exit, the Dutchman’s United had suffered a 2-1 defeat by West Ham, courtesy of a controversial last-gasp penalty from Jarrod Bowen, after winning only four of their 14 games to start the campaign.

United faced the Hammers for the first time since that fateful fixture this Sunday at Old Trafford. Both sides are enduring torrid seasons as they sit way down in the bottom half of the table. Amorim’s men lost 2-0 in yet another afternoon to forget.

And it was extremely telling that, just over six months after Ten Hag’s sacking, two of the three players he reportedly took issue with were not only not involved against West Ham, but no longer at the club.

It’s fair to say that the majority of the Dutchman’s squad was sub-par throughout his tenure. But the Daily Star reported at the time that the head coach was particularly frustrated by Casemiro, Antony and Marcus Rashford, who he believed were partially responsible for his exit.

Rashford only scored once in the league this season under Ten Hag and has spent the past year making headlines for the wrong reasons.

The misfiring striker’s long-term dip in form left his manager without a goal-scorer, having managed to net 17 (30 in all competitions) during Ten Hag’s debut season.

Meanwhile, Casemiro also suffered a dip in form after an impressive first season at Old Trafford. He suddenly appeared to lack the fitness required at the top level and made several errors leading to goals, which didn’t help the Dutchman’s cause.

Antony, too, was specifically signed by Ten Hag for a whopping £86million in the hope that he’d recreate the performances he displayed under the manager at Ajax. He came nowhere near justifying that price tag in the end and stained Ten Hag’s transfer record.

Amorim, who took the helm in November, appears to share his predecessor’s feelings. He used Antony sparingly and froze Rashford out of his squad in late 2024, before sending them out on loan in January to Real Betis and Aston Villa, respectively.

Casemiro, meanwhile, has also been used sparingly by the Portuguese in the league. He has been left on the bench as an unused substitute 13 times since his arrival.

While Antony and Rashford appear to have played their last games as United players, the Brazilian midfielder at least has the opportunity to lift some silverware when the Red Devils take on Tottenham in the Europa League final on May 21.

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