Ruben Amorim has acknowledged he and Manchester United’s players are underperforming this season, after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s criticism of the squad.
Among a series of interviews on Monday, the Man Utd co-owner told the BBC: “Some [players] are not good enough and some probably are overpaid, but for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for and accountable for will take time.”
The comments came amid media reports that Man Utd will overhaul the squad this summer as they look to rebuild and challenge for trophies again.
When asked about Ratcliffe’s comments, Amorim admitted that there are issues to resolve across the board and said the team were determined to change opinions.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s Europa League last-16 second leg tie against Real Sociedad, the Man Utd head coach said: “I think if we are being honest, everybody – me and the players – we are underperforming this season, so we can change that.
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Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe sat down with Gary Neville on The Overlap to discuss Erik ten Hag’s sacking, recent scrutiny from fans and Ruben Amorim’s future at the club. Full interview available on the Overlap YouTube Channel.
“You are talking about players like Casemiro for example, who have won everything and we know that these kind of players can play so much better. “He [Ratcliffe] was honest on that.
“The focus is to change his mind and change all the people’s minds. It’s the right way to do it. Even people say I’m not good enough for this club and my feeling is that you can change that with results. In training, I feel that they want this really bad, especially for tomorrow.”
‘Sir Jim and I are blunt and honest with each other’
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Sky Sports football journalist Ron Walker explains everything we know so far in two minutes about Man Utd’s new stadium plans, including where it will be, what it will look like and when it could open.
Despite Amorim’s own admission, Ratcliffe was far more complimentary about the head coach himself, adding to the BBC: “I think Ruben is an outstanding young manager. I really do… I think he will be there for a long time.”
When asked about his own view of their relationship, Amorim added: “It’s really good since day one. We are really blunt and honest with each other. It’s our character, we are quite similar in that.
“I’ve always felt the support of the board and especially Sir Jim. I cannot tell you the conversations, but they are simple, honest and clear.”
After plans for a new stadium were confirmed on Tuesday, Man Utd CEO Omar Berrada also told Sky Sports News that he would “love to open the new stadium with Ruben Amorim as our coach”, further adding to the notion that the club hierarchy sees the Portuguese staying at the club long-term.
“I already knew that. All of these conversations I’ve had in the past with them,” Amorim said about Ratcliffe and Berrada’s views on his future.
“After matches, they came to the dressing room to explain this but to say it publicly is really good for the coach. But we need results and to improve the team. But since day one, I’ve felt the support of everybody here.”
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Jamie Carragher and Russell Martin take a look at Ruben Amorim’s time at Manchester United so far.
In the short term, Amorim also confirmed that there are transfer plans in place to help Man Utd improve next year.
He said: “We have a clear plan to address next season. We have Europa League also and you can reach the Champions League as well – we are far from this moment, but it can change the preparation for next season.
“We know what to do. We know we’re in a difficult moment, but it’s important to have a plan and [to know] what kind of players you need to bring [in].”
When asked if the club could sell key players to raise funds for transfers, Amorim replied: “We’ll see. This competition can change everything so let’s focus on the game tomorrow.”
