Ruben Amorim has responded to mounting criticism over Manchester United’s disappointing start to the season, insisting that the scrutiny does not compare to what he faced in Portugal. While former players and pundits have openly criticised the United boss, Amorim remains focused on his players and the consistency of his tactical approach.
Former legends criticise Amorim
Manchester United’s recent 3-1 defeat at Brentford drew sharp criticism from football legends.
Former United captain Gary Neville labelled the team’s results as “catastrophic,” claiming that Amorim has run out of excuses. He said:
"Ruben Amorim’s had a pre-season. He's had a week now in between each of his games nearly or most of the weeks because Manchester United aren't in Europe. Yet, the performances are as poor as ever."
Wayne Rooney, United’s all-time top scorer, echoed Neville’s frustration, expressing doubt over the Portuguese manager’s ability to turn things around:
"I don't see players fighting, I don't see character, I don't see desire to win. I don’t see ability, I don’t see match-winners, nothing gets me off my feet. I go to a game watching, expecting, here we go again - expecting the team to lose or maybe pick up a point."
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher also weighed in, calling Ruben Amorim’s tenure “a disaster” and urging the club to act quickly:
"I think he's still in a job because the powers-at-be have made so many mistakes that they almost don't want to admit right now they have made another. This has to end as quickly as possible."
Ruben Amorim stays focused amid criticism
Despite the harsh words, Amorim remains undistracted. Speaking at a press conference, he emphasised that he does not have time to monitor every opinion:
"There is no one in the world that can read everything and listen to everything. I try to see all the games because I know I see the game more than all those guys put together because they have to watch every game. I follow my job that way. It is impossible to survive in this job listening to all things."
He added that the press in England are far more polite than in his native Portugal:
"My family, we love to live in England, you have no idea what is abuse compared to in my country. You are so polite when we are losing."
Biggest Concern: Players, not job security
Ruben Amorim admitted that being sacked is not his primary worry. Instead, he is focused on ensuring his players remain confident in his system:
"That is a decision of the board, I cannot do that. Sometimes I have that feeling that losing is hard, not to create the momentum is so frustrating. That feeling sometimes hurts you a lot. That is not my decision and would be really hard to leave if I don’t do everything to follow my career here."
He clarified that his main concern is how external criticism could affect his squad:
"I am not concerned about that [getting sacked] and nobody here is naïve. We need results to continue the project. The balance is really hard, I am not concerned about that, what I wanted to see my team winning or losing playing the same way. My biggest problem is my players believing you guys when you say the biggest problem is the system. We need to play the same way."