Soccer

AFTER the 3-1 home defeat by Brighton ten days ago, Ruben Amorim labelled his side “the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United”.Having accidentally trashed a TV in the dressing room minutes earlier, he then told the assembled press pack: “I know you want headlines… here you go, your headlines.”Ruben Amorim has refused to call upon Marcus RashfordCredit: GettyHe has built up support from the club’s fanbaseCredit: GettyThe forward is edging towards leaving Manchester UnitedCredit: GettyAt Craven Cottage on Sunday, Amorim decided to give us more headlines — and he upped the ante substantially.Criticising Marcus Rashford’s workrate in training would have provided a decent-enough soundbite.But by claiming he would rather select his 63-YEAR-OLD goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital than a player who didn’t show full commitment, Amorim conjured the most inflammatory managerial quote of the season.Given that Vital last played a quarter of a century ago for the third-tier Portuguese club Esposende, we can assume Amorim wasn’t being literal and knew full well that he was creating another firestorm.READ MORE MAN UTD NEWSUnited are England’s highest-profile club and Rashford — who hasn’t played since December 12 — is one of their biggest names. Yet here was his manager openly mocking him with a quote which bordered on cruelty.This is a high-risk strategy. It’s often said, and is largely true, that Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t publicly criticise his own players, although he did ruthlessly bomb out several of his best.Amorim’s predecessor Erik ten Hag binned Cristiano Ronaldo early in his reign, then froze out Jadon Sancho.And while these moves were widely seen as an admirable attempt to root out ‘bad apples’ and change a rotten culture, Ten Hag never possessed the force of personality to make this approach a long-term success.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSMany United players felt his ‘hardman routine’ was an unconvincing act. With Amorim, it seems more authentic. The Portuguese possesses charisma and won’t be condemned as a fake by his players.Yet as elite players grow ever less accustomed to being called out, Amorim’s words will have shocked the dressing room. The collective criticism after the Brighton defeat was damning but this stinging rebuke of Rashford was personal.Man Utd’s Player Ratings vs FulhamRashford’s reputation has plummeted on and off the field over 18 months but he retains many friends among United’s squad — as did 24-year-old Sancho when Ten Hag went for him.Amorim blamed Rashford’s PR advisors when he gave a surprising interview six weeks ago, stating he was “ready for a new challenge” away from Old Trafford.And the forward is currently pursuing a loan move to Barcelona, yet may be priced out of that, even though he is apparently willing to take a hefty cut to his £325,000 weekly pay packet.A permanent summer transfer now seems highly likely and would suit both Rashford, 27, and Amorim,  although the manager’s public criticism will not do wonders for the Red Devils’ asking price.Criticising Marcus Rashford’s workrate in training would have provided a decent-enough soundbite, but Amorim conjured the most inflammatory managerial quote of the season.Dave KiddAccording to those who know him in Portugal, Amorim doesn’t genuinely relish media duties in the manner of his compatriot Jose Mourinho.He does, though, fully understand how to use the media to influence the narrative around himself and his club.And Amorim recognises he is currently in a position of personal strength. United are terrible.They were terrible before Amorim arrived, they were terrible against Brighton and they were terrible in the 1-0 victory over Fulham, which was probably the most terrible game of Premier League football this season.And yet while part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was slaughtered from the away end on Sunday, Amorim’s name rang out in songs of praise, because United’s hardcore supporters realise he represents the club’s best hope.If fans believe they have been coughing up hard-earned money to watch a bloke on a £17million salary who isn’t showing full dedication, they will fully appreciate the manager berating him.And let’s put our cards on the table here — in the written media, we love juicy post-match quotes from managers.There are fewer and fewer quotable bosses in the  Premier League, with Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham a rare exception.In such a vacuum, less entertaining quotes are occasionally ‘revved up’ a little — my personal favourite being an article which started with the words Claude Puel last night roared…Even though former Southampton and Leicester boss Puel never spoke above a whisper and was believed to be audible only to bats.Media interviews can mean more to a manager’s reputation, and job security, than they probably should.Here was his manager openly mocking him with a quote which bordered on cruelty.Dave KiddAnd by giving the media what they want, Amorim will be cut more slack by those who cover United on a daily basis than Ten Hag, whose press conferences became exercises in blood-from-stone extraction.Amorim celebrated his 40th birthday after three wins from United’s last four matches  — not that they have played particularly well in any of them.After the Fulham game, match-winner Lisandro Martinez revealed: “He’s going to do ‘the tunnel’  with players on either side slapping him.”This is a modern-day take on getting ‘the bumps’  and we might assume Rashford used the opportunity to give his boss an extra hard smack.READ MORE SUN STORIESBut while Amorim is playing a ballsy, high-stakes game in his treatment of the player, this is a calculated approach.Win or bust in the long term, Old Trafford’s firestarter is not going to die wondering.MAN UTD PLAYER RATINGS: Maguire puts in superb defensive display but Garnacho caught running into blind alleysMANCHESTER UNITED secured a hard-fought three points against Fulham.Lisandro Martinez’s deflected strike proved to be the difference in what was the Red Devils’ only shot on target all game.Harry Maguire impressed but Alejandro Garnacho once again failed to impress in what could have been his Man Utd farewell amid rumours linking him with Napoli and Chelsea.Here is how SunSport rated the individual performances.Andre Onana – 7Good save low down to his left to keep out an Alex Iwobi shot early doors.Other than that he was barely tested but no glaring errors mean it is a step in the right direction for the Red Devils No1.Diogo Dalot – 6Had a difficult time in the first half up against Iwobi who was Fulham’s main attacking threat.Switched to the left flank in the second half and supported Garnacho without posing much of a threat.Matthijs de Ligt – 8Another strong showing at the back from the Dutchman. Without his support for Dalot, Fulham may have created a goal down United’s right-hand side.Harry Maguire – 9A superb defensive display from the England star who has been one of United’s best players since Amorim took charge.Pulled off a brilliant header at the back post to deny Rodrigo Muniz a certain goal.Lisandro Martinez – 8Superb last-ditch tackle to prevent Emile Smith Rowe from shooting as he burst through on goal.His goal had a big slice of luck as it was deflected past Bernd Leno but credit to him for having the audacity to shoot.Noussair Mazraoui – 7Solid at the back and tried to get forward when he could. United looked more balance with him on the left and Dalot on the right, although the pair swapped at half-time.Manuel Ugarte – 6Showed some nice touches and was a bit of a menace in the middle – in a positive and negative sense. Kept a close eye on Smith Rowe and allowed him no time on the ball.Booked for a foul on Adama Traore and was taken off shortly afterwards with an injury.Bruno Fernandes – 5Not at his best. Barely saw the ball in the first half and was not very effective when he did get it.Amad Diallo – 6Looked bright on the ball and United’s only real outlet going forward.He worked tirelessly and pressed really well – his hard work paid off when he found the back of the net in stoppage time but his effort was chalked off.Alejandro Garnacho – 3Was cautious on the ball and ran into blind alleys too often. Final ball let him down on the rare occasion he did manage to beat a defender.Rasmus Hojlund – 4His hold up play is nowhere near good enough for this system or for a club like United.He was too gung-ho at times and his erratic nature meant linking up with Amad and Garnacho proved difficult.Hauled off before the hour mark which says it all about his performance.Subs:Leny Yoro (for De Ligt, 58mins) – 6A more assured display given his shaky start to life in the Premier League.Joshua Zirkzee (for Hojlund, 58mins) – 5Like Hojlund he had a difficult time holding the ball up but United improved with him on the pitch.Toby Collyer (for Ugarte, 76mins ) – 6Solid display again from the youngster who was often in the right position to clear, including one on the line to stop a Joachim Andersen header from going in.Kobbie Mainoo (for Garnacho, 80mins) – 6Provided energy in midfield and shored things up alongside Collyer.A brilliant one-two with Amad set up the winger to score before VAR ruled Amad offside.Tyrell Malacia (for Mazraoui, 80mins) – 6Brought on in an unfamiliar right wing-back role but did what was needed to see out the clean sheet. 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NEYMAR rolled credits on his hapless stint in Saudi Arabia as he had his contract with Al Hilal terminated by mutual consent.The star forward moved to the Saudi Pro League from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023 and signed a whopping £2.5million-a-week deal with the club.Neymar had his contract with Al Hilal terminated by mutual consentCredit: ReutersNeymar endured a hapless two-year stint at Al Hilal marred by injuryCredit: GettyHowever, the Brazil international endured a series of injury setbacks, including a devastating cruciate ligament tear that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2023-24 season.The 32-year-old only managed one goal and three assists in a mere seven appearances during a disappointing two-year stint at the Kingdom Arena.That led the ex-Barcelona star to an unceremonious exit as he agreed with Al Hilal to tear the megamoney deal up.The club issued a brief and bland announcement to confirm Neymar’s exit.Read More on FootballAl Hilal announced: “Al Hilal and Neymar agree to terminate contract by mutual consent.”Al Hilal club company and Neymar Jr have agreed to terminate their contractual relationship by mutual consent.”The club expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided throughout his career with Al Hilal, and wish the player success in his career.”According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Neymar is heading back to Santos.Most read in FootballBest new sign-up offersSunSport exclusivesThe versatile forward burst onto the scene with the Brazilian giants where he amassed a staggering 136 goals and 64 assists in 225 appearances.That led to a big move to Barcelona in 2013 where he registered 105 goals and 76 assists in 186 matches during a four-year stint that included two LaLiga titles, three Copa del Rey trophies and the 2015 Champions League.Erling Haaland’s salary is only ninth biggest in football with Chelsea flop Koulibaly earning more than Man City starRomano claims Neymar is set to undergo a medical with Santos after flying back to Brazil. More