Marcus Rashford's new-manager bounce is nothing new - but Ruben Amorim is showing he can permanently unlock Man Utd's enigmatic attacker

Rashford being back among the goals is somewhat surprising given his recent struggles, but the forward has a real habit of making fast starts when there is a new coach on the scene. He took the world by storm by scoring twice on his United debut in 2016 under Louis van Gaal against Midtjylland in the Europa League, and also netted a brace in his first Premier League game against Arsenal. He slowed down a bit, as was inevitable, scoring four goals in his next 15 games.

Rashford then made a strong start under Jose Mourinho the following season despite not being a regular starter. He scored three Premier League goals in his first four appearances, but then got just two more between the end of September and the end of the season. He ended Mourinho's second campaign with 13 goals and had scored only three times in five months of the third campaign when the Portuguese was sacked and replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

As with Amorim, Rashford scored the first goal of a new era under the Norwegian, netting in the third minute against Cardiff City. He managed six goals in the first eight games of the Norwegian's reign, but that dream start petered out as he scored just once in the final 13 league matches. Rashford then had his best season up until that point, scoring 22 times in all competitions in 2019-20, and then 21 the following term.

Then came the worst campaign of Rashford's career where three big factors affected his form: the emotional pain of missing his penalty in the European Championship final, the return of Cristiano Ronaldo to United and a back injury. The arrival of Ralf Rangnick did not lift his form either, and he scored just twice under the interim coach, the goals coming typically in the space of three days, as if to confirm the suspicion he was a 'streaky' player who only performed well in bursts.

Normal service resumed when Ten Hag arrived, though, as the Dutchman's first season coincided with Rashford's best-ever campaign as he scored 30 goals in all competitions, including 17 times in the Premier League. That earned the striker a brand new contract until 2028 which made him one of the club's top earners. Upon signing his bumper new deal, Rashford declared: "I’ve already had some amazing experiences at this incredible club, but there is still a lot more to achieve and I remain relentlessly determined to win more trophies in the years ahead.

"As a United fan all my life, I know the responsibility that comes with representing this badge and feel the highs and lows as much as anyone. I can assure you that I will give everything to help the team reach the level we are capable of, and I can feel the same determination around the dressing room. I couldn’t be more excited for the future under this manager."

Needless to say, Rashford did not deliver on that promise to keep on pushing himself. He ended the 2023-24 campaign on just eight goals in all competitions, the second-worst tally of his career. His relationship with fans was further strained by his off-the-pitch behaviour, such as celebrating his birthday after the 3-0 derby defeat by Manchester City and then missing training after going to a nightclub in Belfast and lying to the club about it.

He did not take the criticism well, sniping back at supporters through an article in The Players' Tribune, and things came to a head when Rashford was confronted by a fan while warming-up for a game at the end of the campaign. The new season did not lead to much of a change in Rashford's performances, either, despite him getting an extended summer break after being left out of England's squad for Euro 2024.

But as with the previous changes in coach, Amorim's arrival has led to an uptick in Rashford's displays. In two games he has lifted his Premier League goal tally for the season from one to four, with him benefitting from the team's more attacking approach under the Portuguese.

The coach is wary of Rashford's recent history and has made some pointed remarks in a bid to keep him motivated. "We'll try to find the right solution for him, as for the other players. But he has to be Marcus, first of all, to try to return to that moment," Amorim said before the Europa League game with Bodo/Glimt. "And then he will have all the help of the staff, the club and the fans because he's a Manchester United boy. But he has to be the first one to want it."

And after Rashford scored twice against Everton, the coach resisted the temptation to lavish the forward with praise. Instead, he urged him to raise his level even higher, saying: "He can do so much. He has to continue to improve. He has the ability to do it, he already proved that, but he can play so much better like the other guys. It was a good performance, but he has to recover and start to think about Arsenal."

The coach's methods can also help ensure Rashford that kicks on and delivers on a more consistent basis. Amorim has already begun rotating his squad heavily from game to game, making six changes against Bodo/Glimt from the Ipswich game, and then six more for Everton.

He has played Rashford in two different roles, as the centre-forward against Ipswich and behind the striker against Everton. The 27-year-old has admitted to not always enjoying leading the line and Amorim acknowledged that it is not his strongest position, saying he was "fighting with two giants" against Ipswich's centre-backs Dara O'Shea and Cameron Burgess.

But playing as a centre-forward in some games will have the effect of making Rashford more versatile, and keep him motivated to play as one of the two attackers behind the central striker. Rotating him should also have a twin effect of keeping him fresher due to increased rest periods and ensuring he is more motivated to play his way into the team for the crunch games. Playing almost every game under Ten Hag, and almost always in the same position as a left winger, left him burned out and complacent.

Rashford offered a sign that he is already in a better mood by giving a post-match interview following the Everton game, his first media appearance in a long while. And he said the system change ushered in by Amorim is a welcome challenge.

"It is not only difficult for us, it is encouraging and fun for us to try something new," he said. "We feel like we can get a lot stronger in this formation as well, but also for other teams we have not played in this system before. No one knows what to expect really from us and it puts us in the perfect position. We can change a lot and set up different for different teams. It is exciting and I don't want to get carried away, but the energy is what we want from Old Trafford."

United fans also don't want to get carried away about Rashford's revival. They have seen him thrive under a new coach before, only to go off the boil sooner or later. But there is genuine hope that Amorim might be able to get the best out of him. The 39-year-old is the youngest coach United have had since the 1960s and he only retired from playing in 2016, Rashford's first season as a professional.

How Rashford performs in Wednesday's trip to Arsenal will be a serious indicator of whether this is another flash in the pan or the start of a genuine revival. He has a superb recent record against the Gunners, scoring four times in his last three games against Mikel Arteta's side, and if he can keep it up and inspire United to return from north London with three points, the rift between supporters and their most enigmatic player will be well and truly over.