Amorim claims not even the Pope could make him change methods at Man Utd
The Red Devils boss is remaining stubborn in his approach to games.
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has made it clear that no outside influence will sway him from sticking with his preferred system – not even divine intervention.
Asked whether pressure from above might lead to a rethink, Amorim smiled and said: “No, no, no. No one. Not even the Pope will change… This is my job. This is my responsibility. This is my life. So, I will not change that.”
The Portuguese coach’s comments came at the end of another turbulent week for United, which included a visit from minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who arrived by helicopter at Carrington on Thursday.
Club officials insisted the meeting had been scheduled in advance and was not a crisis gathering following Sunday’s derby defeat to Manchester City.
Amorim brushed off the subject with humour, joking: “He was offering me a new contract,”
before turning to address concerns over his tactics.
Sticking with 3-4-2-1
The United manager has faced mounting criticism for persisting with his 3-4-2-1 setup despite a poor start to the campaign – one league win in four matches, plus a shock EFL Cup exit at the hands of League Two side Grimsby.
But Amorim explained that giving in to public pressure would damage his credibility in the dressing room.
“If I’m a player and I have a coach that, with a lot of pressure and [people] all around the world, are saying ‘you need to change the system’, says ‘I’m going to change’, they will look at me in a different way.
“Everything is important when you think about the impact that a decision is going to have on the team. I’m doing things my way. I hope to have the time to change but it will be an evolution.”
Chelsea Clash looms large
United face Chelsea next at Old Trafford, with Brentford and newly-promoted Sunderland to follow before the international break.
While club officials deny Amorim has just three games to save his position, the manager himself recognises the importance of picking up results quickly.
The return of Matheus Cunha, signed for £62.5m, should allow Bruno Fernandes to drop into a deeper midfield role. Fernandes has been criticised for his defensive lapses in recent weeks, but Amorim defended his deployment.
“I want Bruno to have more possession to try to control the game. Maybe he doesn’t have the same freedom to get inside the box but he is getting there and he can do his shots.
“Sometimes we miss Bruno in front a little bit but if Cunha is there we have an extra player. I’m just trying to balance the team and imagine the game and I see Bruno well.
“He’s frustrated because he is not winning and sometimes he likes to go further. But he has a job to do.”
Wilcox Speaks Out
Meanwhile, director of football Jason Wilcox gave rare insight into the scale of the challenge facing United. Speaking at an event for the Association of Former Manchester United Players, he admitted the state of the club was worse than anticipated when he arrived in April 2024.
“I thought the club was in a much better place than it was. The whole structure of Manchester United needed to change.
“I pray we get the opportunity to turn it around. I really feel it is not ‘will we win again?’ but ‘when we’ll win again.'”