We need to set better standards – Amorim on Rashford and Casemiro’s US trips

New Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim admits the club must ‘set better standards’ after Marcus Rashford and Casemiro were criticized for flying to the United States during the international break.

On the Stick to Football podcast, former United defender Gary Neville questioned the duo’s professionalism after Rashford watched the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday night and his teammate took his family on vacation to Disney World in Orlando.

The new United boss responded to the criticism during an interview with Neville on Sky Sports.

“The first thing was it was five days off. The second thing is that they received the information of ‘five days off’ and they are big boys, they have children so they decide what to do,” said the Portuguese.

“The main issue here is the club needs to set the standard and manage that.

“They get the information ‘five days off’, do whatever you want’. As a club we need to set better standards and we will try to do that.

“It’s my decision if they can have five days as coach, or three days. Or if three days off you can’t fly. This is something the club has to decide.

“But you can’t blame that on the players. They told them they had five days off so they could fly anywhere. No one in the club said he couldn’t fly.

“They have to live their lives because they are grown men and they have to decide these things. As a club we need to change these norms.

Amorim said it was unrealistic for Neville to apply the standards he worked to under Sir Alex Ferguson, who retired in 2013, because the situation at Old Trafford had changed.

“In your time you had great leadership at the club, very strong and the culture was already there when you started,” he added.

“So it was a long time with the same identity, the same way of seeing things and you felt that even if you did that, your teammates would talk to you.

“Now that’s another point, you have to recognize that. It must start in the club, with us.

“We are responsible in this area. We cannot at the moment put that of Rash or Case.