Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim expressed regret over his controversial post-match comments following the Red Devils’ 3-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. The 39-year-old Portuguese coach claimed his squad may be “the worst Manchester United team in history” and reportedly damaged a television screen while dressing down players in the locker room after the loss at Old Trafford.
Speaking ahead of United’s crucial Europa League group stage match against Scottish side Rangers on Thursday, a more measured Amorim clarified his strong remarks were aimed more at his own coaching performance than his players. The young manager, who took over United this season, suggested addressing the team immediately after the Brighton defeat was a mistake.
“I was talking more for myself than for my players because I was talking that [I am] a coach who starts out losing seven games in the first [15]. So it’s more for me,”
Amorim explained. “I understand I give you that headline and I am frustrated sometimes. Sometimes I should not say it in these terms but it is what it is and that’s it.”
The United boss acknowledged his youth and relative inexperience as a manager may have been a factor in his charged post-match statements and demeanor. “Sometimes I’m a young guy and I make mistakes. I don’t promise you I won’t do it again but I will try to improve,” he admitted.
Crucial Europa Clashes Ahead
Manchester United currently sit in 7th place in their Europa League group with 12 points from five matches. Victories over Rangers at Old Trafford and away to Steaua Bucharest next week would guarantee advancement to the knockout rounds for the three-time European champions.
However, Amorim’s side have struggled mightily at home this season, a trend the Portuguese coach bluntly acknowledged, to the surprise of some observers.
“If you want, I can be delusional and say different things,” Amorim quipped when questioned about highlighting the team’s nerves and poor performances at the Theatre of Dreams. “I say it as I saw it. I said to the players and I said to you: ‘It’s a good thing to be really honest with you.’ If you want me to say different things – you saw one thing, I saw one thing, and I tell you a different thing – I can start to do it. It’s easier for me.”
Security Measures for Rangers Rematch
Greater Manchester Police announced an increased presence at Old Trafford for Thursday’s match against Rangers. The decision comes after the teams’ heated 2008 UEFA Cup Final encounter in Manchester, a match Rangers lost 2-0 to Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg that was marred by fan violence. Several arrests were made in the wake of that game, with a number of supporters sentenced to prison time.
In a statement, GMP affirmed they have “worked closely with both clubs, supporter groups, partner agencies and members of the public to build on the work we have already done at previous football events to work with organisers and the local authority to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable time.”
All eyes will be on Ruben Amorim and Manchester United as they look to reverse their slide down the Premier League table and secure advancement in Europe. The outspoken young manager seems to have absorbed the lessons of his impassioned comments on the weekend, but the real tests will come on the pitch, starting with Rangers under the lights at Old Trafford.
