Ruben Amorim insists ‘I am not going to change’ and accepts Manchester United future is out of his hands as pressure increases
Amorim has won only eight of his 31 Premier League games in charge
Ruben Amorim says if Manchester United want to change their style, they will have to change their manager.
The pressure has increased on the United boss after losing 3-0 to rivals Manchester City at the Etihad, which leaves them with just four points from their first four Premier League games.
Amorim has overseen only eight wins out of 31 league games since his appointment last November, and are bottom of the table of all the 17 teams who have been ever-presents in the top flight during that time.
The former Sporting CP coach has stuck to his principles and 3-4-2-1 formation despite their poor performances, and insists they will continue to do so while he is at the helm.
“Guys, I understand that and I accept,” Amorim said of his measly record at Old Trafford. “It is not a record you should have in Manchester United. There are a lot of things – you have no idea what happened during these months – but I accept that. I am not going to change.
“When I want to change my philosophy, I will change. If not, you have to change the man. We will talk about that every game that we lose.
“I don’t believe in that, in the system, or whatever. I believe in my way and I am going to play my way until I want to change.
“My message is that I am going to give everything. I will do everything, always thinking about what is best for the club. That was always the same message.
“It is not my decision, the rest (on whether United change manager). Until I am here, I will do my best. I really want to win games. I am suffering more than them.”
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Amorim: United are improving
Despite criticism coming his way after another damning defeat, Amorim reiterated his belief that his side are showing signs of improvement.
“The results, again, I accept that,” Amorim added. “I see that we are doing better but the results don’t show that. I remember last year we played in the former club against City.
“We won 4-1 (with Sporting in the Champions League). It was not near the opportunities, the way we control the game compared to today.
“In certain moments we were not better than City. I understand that. It is hard and the record says everything. I understand.”
‘We could have avoided City’s goals’
Phil Foden opened the scoring with an 18th-minute header after Jeremy Doku weaved through the United defence, before Erling Haaland netted with two clinical finishes in the second half.
“If you look at the goals, we can avoid that kind of goal,” he said. “We have almost everyone behind the ball and we could be more aggressive.
“The second goal, in the moment of the game that we are pressing City. We suffer a goal in the throw-in when we want to recover the ball instead of covering the space and then to win the ball. We let two players of City one against one. The approach that we had in that play we can avoid and we can close our goal.
“The third goal, Haaland has all the space. A confusion with our players and then he has all the space to play. In these moments I felt that if you look at the goals, there are moments we could avoid. That is the key of the game, it’s to take advantage of these moments and they took it.
“In transitions, a great shot from Bryan (Mbeumo). In those moments they were better than us.”