Ruben Amorim says INEOS’s decisions are showing a “clear path” towards success at Manchester United – despite mass redundancies being announced for this year.
Earlier this week, United announced between 150 and 200 people will be made redundant this year, adding to the 250 employees who were let go last summer, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS group look to improve the situation at the club via cost-cutting schemes.
All the while, United are struggling on the pitch, with the club sitting in 14th in the Premier League table. Their Europa League campaign resumes next month, while their FA Cup defence continues via a fifth-round tie against Fulham on Sunday.
Asked to name one positive thing with the club at the moment, Amorim said: “I see a clear path, I see that from the board also. They are doing difficult changes, they are not popular, but they are doing them because they have a vision. That is clear.
“But in the future we need to show some results – because you can make a lot of changes and if we don’t have results, people won’t feel confidence and happy.
“The good thing is we have a clear path, now it’s hard but we are doing things to achieve success in the future.”
In order to improve those results, Amorim will need to guide his team to more victories on the pitch. The Portuguese coach has lost nine of his 23 matches in charge at Old Trafford.
Asked if he has become a better manager since moving to Manchester, Amorim replied: “Better? It’s hard to say. I’m not winning games so sometimes I don’t feel like I’m a better coach!
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Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim responded to Roy Keane’s criticism of club captain Bruno Fernandes on the Overlap podcast, where the former skipper said ‘talent is not enough’
“I’ve lived here for three months, I’ve lived through certain things where I’m a more complete manager.
“Because sometimes you need to lose, to be in a poor situation, to grow. I felt that in these three months.
“I’m not going to die if I lose three games in a row. That’s something I’ve learned here. I can cope to maintain the energy. I’m learning a lot about myself but I prefer to win games. That is clear.
“But we are surviving and doing everything. Today it’s really hard but this is going to help us in the future.”
Amorim discusses Man Utd transfer plans amid calls to be ruthless
Amorim also revealed it will be “easy” for him to inform those he no longer wants at United to find a new future this summer.
United brought in defender Patrick Dorgu as their only January recruit in Amorim’s first transfer window, with Marcus Rashford and Antony representing the major departures on loan.
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Man Utd defender Patrick Dorgu had a night to forget as he gifted Ipswich the opener and was then sent off
“We can talk about that at the end [of the season] because there are a lot of games still to play. But that is clear,” said Amorim when asked about his long-term plans to overhaul the squad.
“It is not a difficult situation because everybody understands that in football, sometimes you stay and sometimes you have to move on.
“For me, it’s easy [to explain that to the players]. If you know how to explain it, I can do it. I like to do it because I want to be clear.
“When I was a player – and I like to use that experience – when you are honest with someone, in the beginning it is hard but then they understand.
“So I’m quite honest with my players. They already know that sometimes they have to move on at the end of the season.”
Amorim is working out which players suit his system
Asked if he needs to show ruthlessness this year, Amorim said: “It’s a balance of everything. If the team is trying and I understand they are trying but they cannot do it, I am not ruthless.
“I don’t like to be it to show strength, I just understand and have the feeling of what I’m seeing. You can have two similar situations but the context is completely different and I’m trying to understand everything in my team to help them to be better.
“But when I feel that something is going to harm the team, I’m quite ruthless. I know that we are not going to win with certain behaviours. So I’m trying to make a balance of everything and just help the team.”
