Sir Jim Ratcliffe earlier commended Ruben Amorim as having done ‘a terrific job in the circumstances’, amid the Manchester United manager’s startling declaration that he should consider giving over control if improvements are not made.
The club are currently on track to end considerably below their lowest-ever Premier League score, owning 39 points following the completion of defeat to West Ham United at Old Trafford and with two more fixtures to go. When Amorim took over in November, there were eleven points up for grabs, but there was still only a seven-point gap between them and European qualifying spots.
“It’s not the players’ fault. It’s my fault, I’m responsible. If we cannot change that really fast, we should give our place to different persons,” the boss admitted to reporters watching his Man United side fall to defeat again.
“I feel how a manager of Manchester United is supposed to feel in that position – embarrassed. It’s hard to accept. We need to be more aggressive, and we need to feel that it is the end of the world when we are not winning a game. Especially when we are not winning.
“So it’s a big problem that we have here at the club. It’s a decisive moment in the history of the club. We need to address that. It’s a big problem because it’s mentally. We are not scared of losing a game as Manchester United. We don’t have that fear anymore and that is the most dangerous thing that a big club can have.”
Despite finishing 16th in the domestic standings, Amorim’s team can still make it to the Champions League the next season. Later this month, they have to defeat Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.
It has required more effort to coach players to play in a different fashion because he inherited a team that had previously played in a 4-2-3-1 structure, which is very different from his preferred 3-4-3 system.
Additionally, Man United co-owner Ratcliffe expressed his satisfaction with the work the manager he helped bring to the team this season was doing in an interview with The Telegraph and The Times in March.
“I think he’s done a great job in the circumstances, frankly, with the squad that he’s had available, the fact he came in mid-season,” he explained.
“Everybody expects miracles overnight. It’s not the way, not real life in my view. I mean, you saw the performance yesterday (against Arsenal).
“It was, I thought, a really impressive performance. They could not have worked harder. They couldn’t have been more committed.
“And if you looked at the names on the bench, there weren’t many you recognised, were there? Half the squad’s missing for Ruben.
“If you look at the top eight players in terms of salaries in Manchester United, 50 percent of those are not available to Ruben.
“You’ve got Mason Mount, you’ve got Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford has gone, and Jadon Sancho (on loan at Chelsea).
“And he’s got a bunch of other injuries as you know, so I think he’s done a fantastic job.”
Before that time, the new coach had branded his team the worst in Man United’s entire history, to which Ratcliffe could only respond: “I think coaches are emotional and Ruben’s no exception to that.
“And he’s a young coach. And he’s not perfect. You know, he’s not a guy who … he’s got to be good on the stage, but we want him to be good on the grass. And part of that is life on the stage, isn’t it?”
Lastly, the minority owner spoke of their relationship and answered if he thinks Amorim will prove to be successful over time.
“Yeah I do, honestly,” he said. “I really, really like Ruben. He’s a very thoughtful guy.
“Every time I go to the training ground, I speak to Ruben. I sit down and have a cup of coffee with him and tell him where it’s going wrong, and he tells me to f**k off. I like him.”
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