Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has publicly lambasted Marcus Rashford, claiming he would rather leave the club’s goalkeeping coach on the bench than a striker.

Rashford was once again left out of the matchday squad in United’s 1-0 win over Fulham, with Amorim’s side scoring a goal through Lisandro Martinez’s strike. It was their only shot on target.

The England international has not featured in United’s Premier League squad for almost two months, with Amorim saying Rashford has not shown an attitude of “giving his all every day”.

With a week to go before the January transfer window closes, Amorim said “if things don’t change, I won’t change” about Rashford’s status in the Manchester United squad.

“The reason is always the same: training, what I think footballers should do in life. It’s every day, every detail,” Amorim told a post-match press conference at Craven Cottage. The reason for Shford’s absence was stated.

“If things don’t change, I won’t change either. It’s the same situation for every player and if you do the maximum and the right thing, we can use every player.

“You could see on the bench that we lost a little bit of rhythm on the bench. But I would put (United goalkeeper coach Jorge) Vital ahead of a player who is not performing to his maximum ability every day.”

Manchester United goalkeeping coach Vital, 63, moved to Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon alongside Amorim in November.

Amorim: Manchester United’s front line lacks pace and strength and we have problems scoring goals

Amorim’s comments on Rashford come after the United boss admitted his side still have goalscoring problems this season and that his side lack “pace and power up front”.

United waited 42 minutes for their first shot at Craven Cottage on Sunday – Matthijs de Ligt’s half-chance – and failed to score in the first half’s free play for the first time in a row. The 12th Premier League match.

Rasmus Hoylund made little impact as the game approached the hour mark and his substitute Joshua Zirkzee had just eight touches of the ball in the remaining half hour, with Amorim admitting he There is still room for improvement in the forward line.

When asked if the goal was his team’s problem, Amorim told TNT Sports: “I think so. Even in the second half we wanted to change something, we lacked some pace and power up front.

“But that’s the thing. We need to create the ball, we need more chances. We struggle a lot with those details. But winning helps us a lot to improve.”

Asked if he expected any extra help with the remaining week of the transfer window, Amorim replied: “We have to be careful. Even the rules here, we have to abide by the rules.”

“We have made (transfer) mistakes in the past and we can’t do that now. We are focused on improving the team and let’s see. Let’s focus on the players we have and focus on the next game.”

Amorim unsure about Grenache’s future

Amorim also remained silent on the future of Alejandro Ganaccio, who started in the win over Fulham but came off after United’s win.

Garnacho’s name has been a subject of interest from Napoli and Chelsea, with United potentially considering selling the academy graduate to raise “pure profit” funds to help them comply with profit and sustainability rules (PSR).

“Nobody knows. Anything can happen,” Amorim said of whether Ganaccio will be able to leave before the Feb. 3 deadline.

“He’s improving in all aspects of his game, the way they recover, and his understanding of the game on defense.

“I’m trying to find the best position for him, and today he was playing more open and less inside. We need these guys one-on-one, but I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Analysis: The feeling of victory – but United’s problems remain evident

Sky Sports’ Pete Smith at Craven Cottage:

Amorim stressed the importance of the result ahead of Manchester United’s 1-0 victory over Fulham, and he hoped that the momentum of three points away from home would give the team a boost.

They really looked like they needed one for most of this game. United’s caution was evident as they defended with numbers and looked for safe options in possession. It is worth noting that Fulham was listed as the favorite team before the game, and the visiting team also played up their underdog label.

This result does not obscure the problems that Amorim must solve. The man himself noted a lack of push in the final third, with issues still lingering for Hoylund and his replacement Zirkzee.

Garnacho, the player they’re likely to sell at the deadline, looks most likely to provide a spark in an otherwise lackluster offense. Fulham, despite their own poor attacking record from set pieces, almost exposed United’s weaknesses late on.

However, with a Europa League trip to Bucharest on Thursday, followed by home games against Crystal Palace and Leicester City in the FA Cup, perhaps United have a chance to establish some positive rhythm to improve their short-term prospects. The bigger picture remains a major work in progress.