Under-fire Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has admitted he may need to walk away from the job if he cannot swiftly halt the club’s alarming slide, following a dismal 2-0 home defeat to West Ham United.
In a searing post-match press conference at Old Trafford, the Portuguese boss cut a visibly frustrated figure, describing the performance as “embarrassing” and questioning the very identity of the club he was hired to revitalise. The loss marked United’s 17th in the Premier League this season – with 13 coming under Amorim’s tenure – and leaves them perilously close to a humiliating finish in the bottom half of the table.
“How is a Manchester United manager supposed to feel in this situation?” Amorim snapped. “Embarrassed. It’s hard to accept. Everyone here needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror.”
Since replacing Erik ten Hag earlier in the season, Amorim has overseen a campaign characterised by limp performances, glaring inconsistency, and a dressing room seemingly bereft of urgency or belief. He accused his players of lacking commitment and suggested that the club had “lost the feeling” of being a footballing powerhouse.
“It used to be unthinkable to lose at Old Trafford. Now it feels like just another Sunday,” Amorim said. “We’re losing that sense of what it means to represent Manchester United. That’s my biggest worry.”
The 39-year-old didn’t hide from his own responsibility in the ongoing malaise, stating: “It’s not the players’ fault. It’s my fault – I am responsible. And if we don’t change this really quickly, then maybe someone else should be given the opportunity.”
While United still have a Europa League final against Tottenham to play later this month in Bilbao, Amorim dismissed suggestions that the showpiece event could rescue their campaign. “That final is the least of my concerns,” he said bluntly. “There are far deeper issues at this club than one match.”
The mental fragility of the side, Amorim claimed, has become their defining feature. “In the Europa League we show urgency, but in the Premier League we look like tourists,” he added. “It’s not a cultural issue – it’s a feeling. A dangerous feeling that we don’t have to win.”
Skipper Bruno Fernandes echoed his manager’s sentiments, conceding that some players may already be mentally in Bilbao, rather than focused on United’s immediate Premier League duties. Further complicating matters is the potential absence of teenage star Leny Yoro, who hobbled off during the match, though he later left the stadium without visible signs of serious injury.
With only one league fixture remaining – a daunting trip to Chelsea – and United languishing in 17th place, Amorim’s future hangs in the balance. Insiders suggest Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are closely monitoring the situation, with changes not ruled out should results fail to improve.
For a club once defined by its fearsome winning mentality, the stark admission from its manager that this team is “mentally not there” could mark a watershed moment. Whether Amorim is the man to fix it, or merely a footnote in a deeper decline, may soon become clear.
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