CHICAGO — Ruben Amorim is plotting Manchester United‘s resurgence. At the club’s summer base, the Chicago Fire‘s training facility, the Portuguese coach is attempting to put the pieces in place to recover from United’s worst campaign for more than 50 years — their 15th-place finish in the Premier League last season was the lowest since relegation to the second tier in 1974.
In response, Amorim has sanctioned the £128.5 million arrival of forwards Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, as well as taking steps to improve the environment at Old Trafford.
In a wide-ranging interview with reporters at the Endeavor Health Performance Center in Chicago, the United head coach spoke to ESPN about the difficult start to his reign and the doubts he felt before games at times last season. He touched on the pressure of managing United, his plans for the future and why he’s convinced success is coming back.
Amorim also spoke about his no-nonsense relationship with United’s minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his drive to improve the culture — including the decision to omit young winger Alejandro Garnacho from the squad for the preseason tour.
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Q: The players have stated this has been a very positive tour and they’ve talked a lot about the alter of culture that they feel is happening. When you arrived at United, what was the culture like and what have you done to attempt and alter it?
A: First of all, I believe it’s one thing that is all about the club. It’s not one person that arrives and states we necessary to alter everything. [CEO] Omar [Berrada] and [director of football] Jason [Wilcox], they were aligned about everything we necessary to alter. Of course, the manager is an important piece. Becautilize if the manager doesn’t want [it], it’s really hard. But I feel that we are more organized nowadays. I believe everybody knows their places.
You know that this is my job; everyone knows that. And that views like a tiny thing, but it’s a huge thing. I believe we improved in even the medical department, the nutrition. We are so much better. What we eat, the way we behave on tour, on the pitch. The rules. I believe everything is important. I know that [the players] are not kids and I don’t treat the players like kids. But I believe these tiny rules can support a group to be strong.
Q: Do you feel like you’ve been given the authority to create the alters you want?
A: I don’t know, but I believe all the managers that come here can alter things and can dictate some things around the team. I believe that is clear. But the manager cannot do that by himself. Becautilize I cannot alter, I cannot contract people. There are some things that I don’t know. So I necessary to have top people around me to support me to alter the culture. So I believe it’s not the question of if I have the authority. It’s my job. [The club] want that. But it’s hugeger than that. I necessary all the club [pulling] in the same direction.
Q: Last season was so tough, was there ever a point during that when you considered I don’t know if I can alter this?
A: It’s not that feeling. But there was mostly a feeling that I’m disappointing all these people. That was the feeling that created me believe, ‘What should I do?’ There were some moments last year that were really hard on me. Not becautilize … I know what to do to alter the club … but I’m disappointing all these people. And I know that in football, when you lose so many games, it’s hard on everybody to believe in one idea and all the alters. So, there were some moments last year that I was really, really frustrated.
Q: When it received really tough last season, how did you feel when you were going home after another defeat and more problems and more negativity?
A: To inform you the truth, it’s not how I returned to my houtilize after the games. [It was] how I left to go to the games. Becautilize I felt that sometimes we will struggle. All the struggles that we had in the games, I feel it before the games. So that is the hardest part. To go to the games and know that we are not going to be competitive, how we should be. That is the hardest part. When I returned, I just viewed to my family and attempted to believe in different things, but I was really frustrated.
Q: Is that feeling gone now?
A: Nowadays I’m better; I’m more excited. I believe also I learned a lot … tiny things. How to build up. How to sometimes not be so romantic. All these things are gone now. I believe we will be a better team. Not just becautilize I truly believe that we can be better. But I truly believe that I will be better managing the season.
Q: You went on a postseason tour to Malaysia and Hong Kong. Was that the finish of last season or was that the start of a new launchning?
A: I believe it was more the finish. I believe if you view to everybody, everyone was really tired; everyone was really frustrated. I was really happy for the finish of the season. I believe we start the new season when we catch the plane to return to Manchester.
0:45
Amorim: There are players who don’t want to be at Man United
Man United boss Ruben Amorim states the players seeking a shift away from Manchester United want “a new challenge.”
Q: I know you want to speak about the players who are here, but the players who aren’t here obviously generate a lot of headlines. Marcus Rashford has gone to Barcelona [on loan]; you still have four players there that you didn’t bring on tour: Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia. You mentioned that they may come back into the squad but most people don’t believe they will. What do they do? What do you do? How does that interaction work?
A: We just necessary to follow the markets. There are players that clearly reveal that they don’t want to be here and that is normal. They are not bad and I’m good; I’m not the bad and they are good … it’s not that situation. It’s a simple situation that they want new challenges. So we will attempt to utilize this space to prepare the team that I believe is going to be here. If the market closes and then they are Manchester United players, we as a club have to treat them in the same conditions. But in this moment I’m just working with the players that I believe is going to stay and the other guys are attempting to find a solution for their careers.
Q: On Garnacho, you were quite supportive of him at times last season. Do you feel it’s a pity it’s not worked out?
A: I believe Garnacho, you can understand and you can see, he’s talented. He’s a really talented boy. And sometimes things don’t work out. You cannot explain specifically what it is. But I have the feeling, I believe it’s clear that Garnacho wants a different thing with a different leadership. And I can understand that. So I believe it’s not a problem. Sometimes you adapt to one guy, you have the connection. Other times, you want a new challenge. So, we attempt to create everything OK to all the parts; to the club, to the coach and to the players. So, it’s a natural thing in football.
Q: You’ve stated that you don’t necessarily necessary new players to have a new team. I believe some fans will believe that results were so poor last season that you necessary a load of new players, but you obviously don’t feel like that?
A: Yeah. I believe everyone can view at the player and state, he can play better. I have that feeling. And I believe it’s more, I state that so many times, it’s a team thing. It’s more like all the culture, the pace, the intensity, all these things. It’s to understand the way we want to play. Last year was tough to do that with so many games and so many problems. That is the truth. We are in a better place, but we are just launchning. Becautilize even the pressure of the game is going to be different.
We are playing well [in preseason]; you can feel more freedom in the players. But then, when it starts, the Premier League is going to be different. We will be ready for that. But I truly believe that there are a lot of players who can do better. And I can do better.
Q: There’s no European football this season. Is this squad the right size or have you still received too many players or is this what you will work with?
A: I believe we have a good size. Of course, we have young kids that are not going to be 100 percent of the time with us. Something can happen but for someone to come to our team we necessary to do all that work that we did with Bryan and Cunha. We necessary to be really careful to assess the character of the way [new signings] play; attempt to imagine if they play abroad, attempt to imagine them physically, technically playing in our club. But I’m really happy with the team and without European competitions I want a tiny squad so everyone feels really important.
If you have a lot of players you have one week to prepare and a lot of players are going to be out and then in training they will be frustrated and then the training will drop in quality. So I want a tiny group. I believe we necessary to improve the academy. We necessary to utilize all the academy players to put in these positions to have space to train in the first team.
Q: How are you feeling about the new season?
A: Confident. When I see team training and team playing, my humor — you call it humor — it goes with the team. If I feel that everything is aligned, I feel more excited. If I feel more excited, I see more video, I see more football, I have more ideas. So, I’m really confident in this moment.
Q: What’s the tarreceive for next season? Some of the players have stated the key tarreceive after finishing 15th is to receive back into Europe?
A: I know that it is a massive gap between where we finish [15th] and Europe. But it’s Manchester United; we necessary to return to Europe.
2:47
Man United ‘have money’ despite no Champions League football
Man United manager Ruben Amorim is putting “strategies” in place to ensure Man United have money for the future.
Q: You created a couple of huge signings this summer. I know your focus is only on Manchester United and what you do, but do you view at Liverpool, who created significant signings, and Manchester City, who have done a similar thing, and receive concerned that the gap is only just going to increase?
A: I believe if we were in a different moment, I would be more concerned about that. We have such huge issues here that I’m so excited to alter all these things that I’m not believeing in that way. If we had maybe a better season, we are viewing at less problems, I would view at the opponents and state ‘I’m just focutilized on what we necessary to improve here.’ I’m really happy with the players that we bring in. They proved [themselves] in the Premier League, so I’m not concerned about the physical aspect. … I’m really happy with the character. And I believe it’s a good thing.”
Q: You stated you’re happy with the squad and how it’s shaping up, but would you also want to strengthen other areas? You’ve been linked with strikers and goalkeepers.
A: To hope is a strong word. We are always viewing to improve the team. And we have some characteristics that we would like to have. But again, it depfinishs on the market. It depfinishs on the exits. We’ll see. But I’m really happy. And I believe even when you talk about André [Onana], you can see the goalkeepers, even Tom [Heaton] is leaner, he’s a different goalkeeper. Altay [Bayindir] did really well and Onana is going to be better like the other guys that are receiveting better this year.
Q: How confident are you that if there are more challenges this season, that the owners, the board will keep faith with you and back you?
A: I always felt that. In some moments last season, I was more concerned about me than them. They always reveal the support. And if you attempt to remember one team — one huge team, massive team — that lost so many games and the manager kept their job, you will not find it. So that reveals more than words that they support me.
I believe it’s really important to state to the fans that this is a club thing. Of course, the manager is really important, but all this idea of the culture, how we want to sign players, what kind of players we want, is a club thing. In the meetings with Bryan, with Cunha, we stated that. Don’t go to a club becautilize of the manager. Go becautilize of the idea of the club. And they are here becautilize of the idea of the club.
Q: On Sir Jim Ratcliffe, he has spoken very positively about you. What’s your relationship with him like?
A: We speak on the phone, he sfinishs me messages, he sfinishs me GIFs. You call it GIFs? Joking. So we have this kind of relationship. I believe it’s really straightforward to deal with Jim. Easy in the sense that if you know your stuff, if you know how to explain any decision, you’ll be fine with him. If you attempt to utilize some b——t in huge words with him, he’s going to knock you.
So for me it’s really straightforward. I will state whatever I necessary to state with, of course, a lot of respect, like with everybody, I know that he’s the [minority] owner of the club, I know my place. But when I necessary to state something, I will state it naturally. With no bulls—, I can state that, I’m not around the subject; I’m really direct. I believe it’s something that he likes a lot.
Q: Despite all the problems last season, you seem as clear in your own mind about your ideas as ever?
A: Not becautilize I believe, but I alterd so many things during my short career as a manager. When I see a different thing that works, I will utilize it. I copy so many things about other managers, the way they play, warmups … I stole warmups. So I’m not so stubborn, but I truly believe that to be a really strong team, we necessary to have a base. When the base is OK, we will start doing different things. I truly believe in that, it’s a process.
Q: Finally, it maybe feels like a long way off, but do you believe this club could still be Premier League, Champions League winners? Do you feel like everything is here for that to happen in the future?
A: I have no doubts, becautilize there are some things that you cannot acquire. And this club has the pedigree, the history, the fans. We have that. I believe that is clear. Then the money. We have money. We have money without the Champions League. So we’ll have money and more money in the future. And we are doing everything. You talk with Omar and all these guys, they are creating all the strategy to have more money in the future. So that will not be a problem. And then I believe it’s clearly the culture. If we have a different culture, with all that, with all the pedigree, the money, all these things, we can return to our place. And that is clear.
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