Marcus Rashford may be putting on a brave face on his banishment from Manchester United, posting a message of support for his teammates after their 1-0 win over Fulham, but Ruben Amorim is firmly sticking to his guns.
Any frost between the two men shows no signs of thawing and Amorim doubled down on his stance by claiming he would rather play his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach, Jorge Vital, than Rashford, having taken exception to his efforts in training. .
Camningly, Rashford has now not played in United's last 11 games and has instead been made to watch from a distance, and occasionally the substitutes' bench, while his teammates work in front of goal. Still, Amorim is not for spinning.
He sat out the derby victory at the Etihad in December and a warning shot was fired across his goals. Amorim laid down the gauntlet, saying Rashford must change his habits to get selected even if he stays at Old Trafford.
The clash dates back to the 4-0 win over Everton on December 1. Rashford had scored twice and delivered an attacking display packed with energy and poise, but within hours his world at his boyhood club collapsed.
According The athleticAmorim heard after the game that Rashford had been in Manchester on Friday night, less than 48 hours before Everton's visit. A disciplinarian, the head coach doesn't want his players in bars so close to games.
Rashford was asked for an explanation and told Amorim that he had been misinformed about his night. However, three days later, the striker was benched for Arsenal's defeat, and his social life is said to have been a factor behind the decision.
Since then, his only start came in a 2-1 win over Viktoria PLZen in the Europa League. Two days later, Rashford is said to have been mediocre in training ahead of United's trip to Rivals City. Sources told athletics that he had appeared fatigued.
That seemed to be the last straw that broke the camel's back. Amorim had had enough.
Now 27, Rashford is no spring chicken. He will know more than anyone that his form has fallen off a cliff in the last 18 months.
This drop saw him dropped by England ahead of Euro 2024 and Amorim will not select him simply for the sake of accommodating United's highest-paid player. He has made it clear that players are selected on merit and merit alone.
“It's always the same reason,” Amorim said of Rashford's prolonged absence.
'The reason is training. The way I see what a footballer should do in training, in life, every day. If things don't change, I won't change.
'You can see it today at the bank. We needed a little rhythm to change the game to move some pieces, but I prefer it that way. I will put (Jorge) vital before putting a player who does not give him the maximum. I won't change in that department.
Asked if the situation will change if Rashford is still at United after deadline day next week, Amorim added: 'It's the same situation for every player. If you do the maximum, if you do the right things, we can use every player.”
Amorim is said to be growing increasingly frustrated with questions over Rashford's future, but the uncertainty makes this a story that won't go away until the transfer window has closed on February 3.
Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, the two men responsible for scoring the majority of United's goals, are flattering to deceive. Neither has scored this year and between them they have managed just one goal since the beginning of December.
In fact, the only United attacker who poses a consistent threat in games is Amad Diallo, making Rashford's omission from the team even more glaring. But for Amorim, effort is everything and clearly, Rashford is falling short of his standards.
He will also not have been impressed by Rashford's admission that he was open to a new challenge away from United. These bombshell comments came in an interview published just two days after the eye-catching victory over City.
United are keen to offload him from their wage bill but figures at the club will believe they did everything they could to bring Rashford back from the brink.
“It depends on him more than me,” Amorim told Sky Sports earlier this month. 'He must want it very, very badly. He is here. He's ready to play if I decide.
This represented something of an olive branch, and a possible route to redemption, but Amorim also made it clear that his players must be nearly flawless off the field.
It is this area where Rashford is believed to have let his manager down.
“Next week, next game, new life,” Amorim said.
'They are fighting for their places, but for me it is important: performance in training, performance in the game, the way you dress, the way you eat, the way you engage with teammates, the way you push your teammates.
“It's the little details, but there are some things that have to change.”
In the wake of the City win, Amorim apparently indicated that he had spoken to the club's hierarchy about how to handle the situation. All indications are that INEOS, headed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, are aligned with the approach.
“For so long, for example, with rash, you try nothing, it doesn't work,” he said. Shall we continue doing the same? Or something different?
Rashford is available for loans but interest from AC Milan, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund appears to have faded in recent days. This may leave him with only one realistic option in Barcelona, although a move there seems unlikely.
He would prefer a move to the Nou camp, but the club may struggle to fund his wages, especially given that Eric Garcia and Ansu Fati have not been moved.
As reported by mail sportDortmund were open to offering Rashford an escape route from his United nightmare, but again, his wages proved to be an obstacle. A move could be reviewed if costs fall, but you can't escape the clock.
With every second pass, the possibility that he will be forced to watch the rest of the season in Purgatory grows. It is unclear whether there is a realistic chance of him winning relief under Amorim and for now, at least, he is stuck in limbo.
Sources close to Rashford have stressed that he is keen to play for United again and harbors no hard feelings towards Amorim. He has also completed additional training.
But even this may not be enough.