Moffat Mungazi
RUBEN Amorim has said he is far from quitting as Manchester United boss after warning he could walk away if results do not improve next season.
Amorim was “embarrassed” after West Ham came to Old Trafford and won for the first time in nine matches to move above United, whose dreadful Premier League campaign has left them 16th in the table after losing 17 games.
The United boss warned that everyone at the club must “seriously think about a lot of things” before saying they should “give space to other people” if the poor form continues after the summer.
But Amorim insisted in his press conference ahead of next Wednesday’s Europa League final against Tottenham that he has no plans to step down.
Asked if he would seriously resign, Amorim said: “I am far from quitting.”
“What I am saying is that since I arrived here I am always talking about the standards. I cannot see the team having these results, especially in the Premier League, and not say something and take responsibility,” he added.
“I have a clear plan of what to do. I understand the problems of the team.”
But the United boss, far more upbeat than in the aftermath of the defeat to West Ham, warned “we need to perform or else they will change us”.
Amorim also confirmed he had agreed to pay for his backroom staff to go to next week’s Europa League final after reports claimed the club would not be covering the cost of their tickets.
This is just the latest cost-cutting measure implemented under United’s minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has overseen more than 400 redundancies since taking control of football operations from the Glazer family.
Amorim, who acknowledged it is “hard to manage things” at United, said the cut-backs made it difficult for the club to pay for those staff still in a job.
“We have had a lot of people leaving and a lot of changes in our staff,” Amorim said.
“In our club at the moment it is sometimes hard to understand when to take and when to give and to respect the people when we have taken their jobs to survive and rebuild.
“It is complicated for the club to give to other members of staff, so it is a really hard position.
“That situation was explained and my reaction was to help because – I am not a good guy – it is not going to change my life. The players had the same reaction.
“Everybody wants the staff and the families there.”
Man Utd’s defensive quartet pushing to be fit for the final Amorim says injured United defenders Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Ayden Heaven and Diogo Dalot are pushing to feature in next week’s Europa League final.
Yoro joined fellow centre-backs De Ligt and Heaven on the sidelines after limping off in Sunday’s 2-0 loss to West Ham with a foot injury.
The trio were absent from training just a week out from facing Spurs and head coach Amorim said: “I don’t know if they are going to be available.
“We are going to try to push because it’s the final matches and this is a final, you know that. All the players want to play that really bad, so I don’t know.
“I think they will not go to Chelsea [on Friday], but we will have a possibility to have some of them in the final.”
Lisandro Martinez and Joshua Zirkzee are ruled out of the match against Tottenham next Wednesday.
Jonny Evans and Toby Collyer were in training a week out from the final, while full-back Dalot did an individual session before the main group trained as he seeks to make it to Spain.
The 26-year-old has made 51 appearances for United this term in all competitions but last month suffered a potentially season-ending calf injury.
“Dalot is trying really bad,” Amorim said. “I don’t want to risk Dalot because when you start getting one injury, second injury [follows] and then it’s a big thing.
“We cannot have these kinds of problems in our squad, so we will see but he’s working really hard to get in the final.”
Dalot told Sky Sports News he is doing everything he can to be fit for the final.
“I am working really hard, you can imagine how much I want to be back as soon as possible,” he said. — Sky Sports.
Online Reporter