Manchester United endured another turbulent week following their Manchester derby defeat at the Etihad, capped by a Thursday visit from minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who arrived by helicopter at the Carrington training ground.
Club officials insisted Ratcliffe’s appearance was “pre-planned” rather than an emergency meeting. Manager Rúben Amorim, in a lighthearted mood, quipped when asked about their discussion: “He was offering me a new contract,” joked the former Sporting boss, whose team has only one win from four Premier League matches this season and suffered an embarrassing EFL Cup exit to League Two Grimsby.
The conversation turned serious when reporters pressed him on whether Ratcliffe suggested changing the 3-4-2-1 formation—a system Amorim has stubbornly maintained despite mounting criticism.
“No, no, no,” Amorim replied. “No one. Not even the Pope will change my mind. This is my job, my responsibility, my life. So I will not change that.”
He explained that yielding to outside pressure would undermine his authority in the dressing room:
“If I’m a player and I see my coach buckle because everyone says, ‘You need to change,’ then he changes, I’d see him differently. Every decision affects the team’s mentality. I’m doing things my way. I hope to evolve in time, but it will be an evolution, not a reaction.”
Ahead of Chelsea’s visit to Old Trafford, Amorim acknowledged the urgency of securing wins. While club officials dismissed reports that he has only three games to save his job, the upcoming fixtures against Chelsea, Brentford, and Sunderland could reshape his standing.
The return of £62.5m forward Matheus Cunha should free captain Bruno Fernandes to drop into a deeper midfield role—a tactical choice under scrutiny after Fernandes failed to track Phil Foden for City’s opening goal, echoing a similar lapse against Fulham. Amorim defended the move:
“I want Bruno to control the game. Maybe he doesn’t have the same freedom to get into the box, but he can still take his shots. With Cunha, we gain an extra player up front. Bruno is frustrated by the results, but he has a job to do.”
Meanwhile, director of football Jason Wilcox offered a rare glimpse into the club’s internal struggles during a Q&A with the Association of Former Manchester United Players. He admitted he “thought the club was in a much better place” when he arrived in April 2024 and said, “The whole structure of Manchester United needed to change. I pray we get the opportunity to turn it around. It’s not a matter of if we’ll win again, but when.”
Leave a Reply