Manchester United’s manager, Ruben Amorim, has made it very clear that he will not change his football system or style of play, even though his team is struggling badly. After losing 3-0 to rivals Manchester City in the derby on Sunday, Amorim said he is hurting even more than the supporters who are frustrated with the results.
United’s season has started poorly. From their first four Premier League matches, they have only collected four points. To make matters worse, they were also knocked out of the League Cup by a much smaller team, Grimsby Town, who play in the fourth division.
Since Amorim took charge last November, the numbers do not look good. United have only managed to win eight out of 31 league games, and they finished a very disappointing 15th place last season, something that is far below the standards expected at a club of Manchester United’s size and history.
Amorim admitted this openly:“I understand it and I accept it. These results are not what you should see at Manchester United. But I will not change. If I ever decide to change my football philosophy, then I will do it. If not, then the only thing to change is the players. I play football my way, and I will continue to do that until I decide otherwise.”
Despite the poor form, the Manchester United board and owners have continued to support him so far. In fact, they have given him huge financial backing. Over the summer, the club spent around £200 million ($271 million) to bring in new attacking players. But after such a big investment, patience is running out. Results need to come quickly.
The team’s main problem is scoring goals. In the Premier League this season, United have only scored four goals, and even those are not impressive. Two were own goals from the opposition, and one was a penalty. That means they have only scored one proper goal themselves in open play.
The new signings have not made the impact fans hoped for. Matheus Cunha missed the City game because of injury, while Benjamin Sesko, who cost £74 million, struggled badly in his first start and could not make a difference.
Still, Amorim promised that he will not give up:
My message is simple: I will give everything I have. I will always do what I believe is best for the club. Until I leave, I will work as hard as possible. I want to win matches desperately. Honestly, I am suffering more than the fans.
Interestingly, before the derby match, United were sitting higher than City in the league table for the first time in five years. But Pep Guardiola’s City took full advantage. Before the break, City had looked vulnerable after back-to-back defeats against Tottenham and Brighton. However, the derby win lifted them again.
City are still six points behind league leaders Liverpool, but Guardiola believes this victory could be the spark his team needs to get their season moving in the right direction.
He said: Of course I hope this is the start of a good run. But I remember last season, when we won our first four games, and then later in October, November, and December we really struggled. So we must keep improving. But winning games, especially the derby, gives energy. You could see the joy and happiness in the faces of our fans .That feeling always helps.
