2-time Premier League Golden Boot winner Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes new Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim needs to get the most out of Marcus Rashford and captain Bruno Fernandes if he wants to be successful at Old Trafford.

The pair have struggled to find form in recent months and, speaking to Lucky Block, Hasselbaink said Amorim’s first priority will be to get both players performing at their best:

“I think I expect more from Rashford and from Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United. I’m expecting more from Marcus Rashford because I know Rashford can do much more. Marcus Rashford is an exceptional player – we just haven’t seen enough of it – and I also think that he is the type of player that should be a leader within the Manchester United team. He has the personality and the charisma to do that – he can carry that team and take the responsibility as the club’s main goal scorer. He has that in his locker.”

“Hopefully we can see him start to show the talent that he has this season because there is still plenty of time for him to have a big, big impact. With a new manager coming into the club, the first thing he will be looking to do is to get more out of his big players, and that starts with Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford.”

Rashford and Fernandes have looked well below par

Neither player has impressed for United this season. Rashford’s malaise actually stretches back to the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign, with former manager Erik ten Hag having publicly questioned his off-field activities.

Fernandes, meanwhile, has seen a steady decline in his output. The penalty he scored against Chelsea at the weekend was his first goal in the Premier League since April.

Amorim’s style of play may not suit everyone in the United squad

The 39-year-old has regularly used a variant of a 3-4-3 formation during his time in charge of Sporting Lisbon, and there are likely to be certain players that will struggle to get minutes as a result.

Rashford should fit the system well, but it remains to be seen how Amorim will choose to utilise Fernandes. There will be no room for a traditional No.10 but he could be used as part of a front three.

Find out who is in Manchester United’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here