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Ruben Amorim does not fear the sack even if Manchester United’s slump worsens under his watch, with the head coach sure of co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s support.
United’s 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday was a seventh loss in 13 Premier League games under Amorim with the result leaving them in 13th place with a -6 goal difference.
When offered the job as United manager in October, the Portuguese accepted despite preferring to wait until the summer due to the difficulty of taking over mid-term. The club’s Ratcliffe-led football department informed Amorim the position would not be open in the close season. Given this he was asked if the board accepted performances could become even poorer.
Amorim said: “It’s a little bit harder for me to cope with that [poorer results] than the board, because the board already knows [what might happen under him]. I explained all the risks. Everything that has happened I explained to the board [before taking over], and they said the same thing: ‘We need to start now’ [him take the job].
“But I understand at this moment, with a lot of losses, especially at home, the environment is really hard, but I feel the support of the board, if you’re asking that. I’m not the slightest bit worried about that, it’s just the pain of losing that is the hardest thing to cope with.”
In the winter window Marcus Rashford was loaned to Aston Villa after Amorim refused to select him for six weeks. He was asked if the forward plays well under Unai Emery, Villa’s manager, if this would reflect badly on him as a coach.
“As a journalist or a fan, you can take this in the way that you want,” the manager said. “What I say is I couldn’t put Marcus to see the way you’re supposed to play football and to train the way I see it. And sometimes you have one player who is really good with one coach and the same player with another coach is different. I just wish the best to Rashford and Unai Emery, and they can connect because he’s a very good player.”
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Amorim was asked if, in essence, Rashford had said he did not agree with the head coach’s ideas regarding football. “You know, like me, it’s not the way that occurs, it’s something that you feel, as a coach and a player,” said Amorim. “It’s quite normal, it happened with a lot of coaches. The important thing is that I’m here saying it was my decision. And Tyrell [Malacia] and Antony: it was my decision, to do these loans [too].”
