Tag: Manchester United

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim insisted he had to establish a formation at Old Trafford before asking his squad to demonstrate tactical flexibility, as succumbing to media pressure would have been “the end” for him.

Amorim departed from a back three with wing-backs for the first time in Friday’s 1-0 win over Newcastle and instead fielded a conventional back four with two holding midfielders.

The Portuguese boss memorably once said not even the Pope could force him to change his system.

But Amorim, with United now just three points adrift of a Champions League place, insisted he was never as obstinate as he appeared.

“When I came here last season, I understood maybe I don’t have the players to play well in that system, but it was the beginning of a process,” he said ahead of Tuesday’s match against relegation-threatened Wolves at Old Trafford.

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“We were trying to build an identity. Today is a different moment. We don’t have a lot of players, and we need to adapt, so they understand why we are changing.”

The 40-year-old former Sporting Lisbon boss added: “When you (the media) talk about changing the system all the time, I cannot change because the players will understand I’m changing because of you, and I think that is the end for the manager.

“When we are playing well in our system, that is the moment to change.

“We are going to become a better team because when all the players return, we are not going to play with three defenders all the time.”

United only had two wins in eight games prior to beating Newcastle and will be without seven senior players for the match against bottom-of-the-table Wolves, still without a victory after 18 Premier League fixtures this season.

Club captain Bruno Fernandes will miss the Wolves game, despite telling his manager he wants to return to action following a hamstring injury in a December 21 defeat at Aston Villa.

“Bruno is already saying he needs to train,” said Amorim.

“But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that.”

However, the 31-year-old playmaker will still have an influence on the game.

“The guy is a leader,” said Amorim. “He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he’s not talking and speaking. He’s always speaking. That’s why he’s the captain.”

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Patrick Dorgu scored his first Manchester United goal to help the depleted Red Devils to a 1-0 win over Newcastle to propel Ruben Amorim’s men up to fifth in the Premier League.

Short of captain Bruno Fernandes due to injury, plus the absence of Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo due to the Africa Cup of Nations, Amorim’s change of role for Dorgu paid dividends.

The Danish international connected sweetly with a looping ball on his left foot for the only goal to compound Newcastle’s miserable away form despite the visitors dominating the second half.

A first home win in two months takes United level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea, while Newcastle remain down in 11th.

After a series of promising performances went without reward in recent weeks, this time United got over the line despite having to mount a rearguard action to secure just a second clean sheet of the season.

Amorim responded to the loss of Fernandes by finally switching from his preferred 3-4-3 system to a back four, with Dorgu thrust into a more attacking role on the right side of a three behind Benjamin Sesko up front.

Dorgu duly delivered his first goal for United since joining from Lecce nearly a year ago.

Diogo Dalot’s cross was cleared high into the air before the 21-year-old volleyed past Aaron Ramsdale on 24 minutes.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe himself made an early formation change to adapt to a fast start from United.

But Howe has struggled all season for answers to the Magpies’ woeful form on the road.

Newcastle have won just twice in 12 games away from Tyneside in all competitions.

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Ramsdale denied Dorgu a second at the end of another dangerous United counter-attack before half-time.

Yet, Amorim’s forward options were dealt another blow when Mason Mount did not reappear for the second half.

Jack Fletcher, son of former United midfielder Darren Fletcher, was introduced for his first appearance at Old Trafford.

Newcastle sensed their opportunity as they penned the home side inside their own half for practically the entire second half without reward.

Amorim tinkered with his system once more to try and turn the tide, but his substitution of Casemiro left the Brazilian befuddled.

Despite barely being able to escape their own half, United still had two huge chances to kill the game off.

Sesko smashed off the bar from a narrow angle before Dalot blazed over after being picked out by Lisandro Martinez’s free-kick.

Lewis Hall crashed a strike off the crossbar with Newcastle’s best effort.

Anthony Gordon and Lewis Miley both fired wastefully high over the bar after intricate play to finally create some space inside the United box.

But Newcastle joined local rivals Sunderland as the only sides to not score against United this season in the latest blow to their hopes of a return to the Champions League next year.

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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has urged his players to “step up” in the absence of “impossible to replace” skipper Bruno Fernandes.

The Portugal international suffered a soft tissue injury sustained in Sunday’s 2-1 loss at Aston Villa and, although Amorim believes the midfielder will be back soon, he is acutely aware of the need to fill the gap in United’s attack.

Fernandes, who has started every Premier League match this season, is the English top-flight’s most creative player, creating 51 chances and while he is sidelined, United will also be without Kobbie Mainoo for Friday’s clash at home to Newcastle.

“It is impossible to replace Bruno but I said that this morning to the team,” Amorim told a pre-match press conference on Wednesday.

“We need to take the good thing — if there is a good thing on that — that a lot of people need to step up and understand we cannot rely on one player for everything.

“Sometimes we rely on Bruno for organisation and the creation. We have lost Bruno on set-pieces, Bryan (Mbeumo) and Amad (Diallo) on set-pieces, so this is massive for the team.

“But it is an opportunity for other players to step up and show the leadership that we need in the team.”

The Portuguese boss, asked what United would miss most when deprived of Fernandes’s leadership qualities, replied: “Everything.

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“He understands every position on the field, he pays attention to every detail; every set-piece when you have a substitution he is always the guy telling the other guys where they should be.

“But that is a very good opportunity for guys like Licha (Lisandro Martinez), Luke Shaw, all these guys. We need to step up to have more leaders in the group because this can happen to Bruno.

“It is not usual but this can happen, so it is a big opportunity for the other guys.

“We have other players we need to maybe try to see different ways of playing. I think Jack Fletcher did a very good job (when he came on against Villa) and that is why when we have this opportunity we have to give space to Jack and the other ones.

“We will find solutions to play.”

United are currently seventh in the table, three points adrift of the Champions League places.

After Newcastle, United face basement club Wolves, Leeds, Burnley and Brighton. They will look to pile up the points ahead of what are sure to be sterner challenges in back-to-back games against title contenders Manchester City and Arsenal.

United have won just two of their last eight league fixtures but Amorim said: “I am confident we can win any game.

“Of course we have some problems, but even without many players in this moment in time I believe in the team and I believe we can win any game.

“Of course it is more difficult but I trust in my players and if we are really focused, we can win.”

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Ruben Amorim said provocative social media posts from two of Manchester United’s academy stars showed a damaging “feeling of entitlement” at the Premier League club.

The United boss last week said Harry Amass was “struggling” at Sheffield Wednesday, bottom of the Championship, and pointed out that Chido Obi was not always a starter in United’s under-21s.

The 18-year-olds both uploaded and subsequently deleted Instagram story posts.

Amass posted a photo of himself holding the Sheffield Wednesday’s player of the month award for November with a grinning emoji.

Obi’s post showed him with arms out celebrating a goal for the Under-21s against Manchester City in August.

But Amorim defended his direct approach at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

“I think it’s a little bit the feeling of entitlement that we have in our club,” the Portuguese said when asked if he had seen the posts.

“Sometimes strong words are not bad words. Sometimes difficult moments are not bad things for the kids. We don’t need to be always with accolades in everything, in every situation.”

The United boss called for a change of culture at the club, who are sixth in the Premier League ahead of Sunday’s visit to high-flying Aston Villa.

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“The players sometimes forget about what it means to play for Manchester United. We as a club sometimes forget who we are,” he said.

“And that’s the feeling that I have. So I understand everything. It’s the environment, it’s the moment of the players, the kids.

“They feel entitled. They feel free to respond the manager with a picture.”

Amorim said his office door was open if players wanted to discuss issues.

“Nobody is coming to talk to me,” he said. “And that is the way we can solve things. So I think we need to change first as a club. And then everything is going to change.”

The United boss was also asked about a T-shirt worn by Kobbie Mainoo’s half-brother earlier this week that carried the message “Free Kobbie Mainoo”.

England international Mainoo, 20, is still waiting for his first Premier League start of the season, with his lack of game time a major talking point.

“It was not Kobbie who wore the T-shirt,” said Amorim. “He is not going to start because of the T-shirt but he is not going to the bench because of the T-shirt.

“He’s going to play if we feel that he is the right guy. That is not an issue.”

Brazil midfielder Casemiro is suspended for the Villa game, giving a potential opening for Mainoo.

Defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire are still injured while Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo are all on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.

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Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada said the latest financial results released on Thursday show “strong progress in our transformation of the club”.

The Red Devils reported a £13 million ($17.4 million) operating profit for the three months until September 30, compared with a £6.9 million loss in the same period last year.

United’s total revenue for the 2026 fiscal first quarter dropped by two percent to £140.3 million due to the lack of European competition for the men’s team, who are sixth in the Premier League under manager Ruben Amorim.

The women’s team, coached by Marc Skinner, are third in the Women’s Super League and are competing in the Women’s Champions League.

“These robust financial results reflect the resilience of Manchester United as we make strong progress in our transformation of the club,” said Berrada.

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“The difficult decisions we have made in the past year have resulted in a sustainably lower cost base and a more streamlined, effective organisation equipped to drive the club towards improved sporting and commercial performance over the long term.”

United’s financial statement said the club continues “to see the impact of operating cost and headcount reduction programmes implemented during the previous year”.

Co-owner Jim Ratcliffe oversaw wide-ranging, and often unpopular, cost-cutting measures, including widespread job cuts.

The statement said “employee benefit expenses” for the quarter were £73.6 million, a decrease of £6.6 million, primarily due to the impact of job cuts.

United says they remain on track to record revenues of between £640 million and £660 million for fiscal 2026.

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Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko will be out of action “for a few weeks” after hurting his knee before the international break, manager Ruben Amorim said on Friday.

The forward, who joined United from RB Leipzig for £74 million ($97 million) in August, was injured during the 2-2 draw at Tottenham on November 8 and missed Slovenia’s World Cup qualifiers.

Amorim was initially “more concerned” about the issue due to the fact it related to a knee, but the United boss is confident the 22-year-old has avoided a lengthy lay-off.

“He is going to stay out for a few weeks, I don’t know how long, but it is not that serious,” Amorim said at his pre-match press conference for Monday’s visit of Everton.

“We have to be careful with him, he is going to recover, he is doing the recovery and is feeling better. So in a few weeks I expect to have Ben (Sesko).”

Amorim said he expected Sesko to return around the time that Cameroon’s Bryan Mbeumo, Ivory Coast international Amad Diallo and Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui would leave for the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins in Morocco on December 21.

Discussions are taking place about when they will be released.

“We are doing our job to try to maintain the players a little bit longer but it’s not just in our hands,” said Amorim.

“We need to respect that, but we will try to do everything to protect the club, protect the player and protect the national team.”

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The Portuguese was asked how he felt as he approached the anniversary of his first game as United boss, against Ipswich on November 24 last year.

“Right away, I knew that we would struggle in some things,” he said. “But it was that feeling of, yes, it’s the best league in the world.

“It’s maybe the best club in the world. But at the same time, it’s a big job and it’s going to require a lot of work.”

Amorim said United were showing progress after a tough 2024/25 season, when they finished 15th in the Premier League.

“We suffered a lot last year, so we have to take that into account and play every game like it’s the last one or the first one,” he said.

“But of course, if you ask me, I expect a team with more control, more dominance, playing better football and, the most important thing, more competitive in every way.”

United will also be without Harry Maguire against Everton after the defender picked up an injury in the Spurs draw.

Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo could be available to face David Moyes’s side, and Lisandro Martinez is getting closer to a return after being involved in the Argentina camp over the break.

United are seventh in the Premier League after an unbeaten run of five games, although they have drawn their past two, against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham.

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Ruben Amorim has told Manchester United to “focus on the future” following former Old Trafford star Cristiano Ronaldo’s withering assessment of his old club.

United are looking to rebuild following a woeful 2024/25 season, which saw them finish a lowly 15th in the Premier League and lose in the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.

Ronaldo insisted this week United manager Amorim cannot do “miracles” at a club that is “not on a good path”, saying “they need to change and it’s not only about the coach and players”.

But when Ronaldo’s comments were put to his former Portugal team-mate ahead of this weekend’s trip to Spurs, the United boss said: “Of course he knows and he has a huge impact in everything he said.

“What we need to focus (on) is in the future. We know that we as a club made a lot of mistakes in the past, but we are trying to change that. So, let’s not focus on what happened. Let’s focus on what we are doing now, and we are doing that.”

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Amorim said the changes being put in place were having positive results.

“We are changing a lot of things in the structure, the way we do things, the way we want the players to behave,” said the 40-year-old coach.

“We are doing that and we are improving, so let’s focus on the way we are doing things. We are improving, let’s continue and forget a little bit the past.”

United have lost their last four games against Spurs.

However, they head into Saturday’s match unbeaten in their last four Premier League matches, a sequence that includes a 2-1 win over champions and arch-rivals Liverpool.

Amorim, asked how United had changed since being beaten by Spurs in the Europa League final in May, replied: “First of all, the characteristics of the players. So, we are a better team, we play better, we understand the game better. I think we are more confident.

“We reached that final confident that we could win because we were doing well in Europe, but in this moment we play with a different confidence.

“We manage the moments of the game better. But if you remember that game, they had that shot on the goal; they won the game.

“So, I expect a different game, where we can play better, but also to have a little bit of luck to help us win the game.”

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Bruno Fernandes has revealed he rejected a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia in favour of pursuing his Manchester United dreams.

United captain Fernandes is set to make his 300th appearance for the club in Saturday’s Premier League match against Brighton at Old Trafford.

United have struggled for much of Fernandes’ time in Manchester, and last season they finished 15th — which ranked as the club’s worst final top-flight position since 1973-74.

They also lost the Europa League final against fellow strugglers Tottenham to shatter their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Fernandes was offered an escape route during the close-season when Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal reportedly expressed interest.

But he spurned the move to focus on unfinished business with the 20-time English champions, who last won the title in 2013.

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“We always say we have an offer from Saudi because obviously, wherever I have to go, they have to come. They can choose not, but I’d prefer them to come,” he said in reference to wife Ana and his family.

“And obviously the first thing she said was ‘have you achieved everything you wanted to achieve at the club?’ Because she knows that I haven’t.”

Fernandes has sometimes been criticised for an overly emotional attitude on the pitch, with team-mates subjected to frustrated tirades.

But United boss Ruben Amorim accepts the Portugal midfielder’s fiery personality is part of his burning desire to win the Premier League and Champions League.

“The manager spoke with me,” Fernandes said. “He said I was still part of the project. He wanted me to stay. The club said the same.

“I always said that if the club was like ‘Bruno, we want to cash in, we want to make some money, we don’t think you can be part of the future project’ or whatever, I would be like ‘OK, I have to find a solution for myself, whatever is best for me and my family, and I will leave’.

“But obviously that wasn’t the case. I felt that I was still part of the plan, that I could still help the club to achieve whatever was our aims.”

Fernandes has a contract until 2027, with the option of a further year.

And the 31-year-old has no intention of discussing his future with anyone until after the World Cup next year.

“As I’ve always said, I feel good here,” he said. “I want to achieve my dreams still. But obviously I can’t talk by the side of the club.

“I’ve seen a lot of news. I’ve seen a lot of people talking that I had an agreement to go already next season. If the club has done that agreement, it wasn’t made with me, so I haven’t spoken with anyone.

“My agent also knows how I work, so if he wants to talk to me, it will be after the World Cup. Because until then, I won’t speak to anyone.”

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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said the support of co-owner Jim Ratcliffe will mean little if he fails to turn around the club’s fortunes.

During an interview with a news outlet, British billionaire Ratcliffe said Amorim has to “demonstrate he is a great coach over three years”.

Amorim is approaching a year in the Old Trafford hotseat and is yet to win back-to-back Premier League games.

Doing so away to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday would be a major step in the right direction, and the Portuguese knows he will be under intense pressure until results improve.

“You know, I know, and Jim knows that football is not like that,” Amorim said at his pre-match press conference on Friday, referring to Ratcliffe’s timescale.

“The most important thing is the next game.”

Manchester United ended the season 15th in the Premier League last term — their lowest finish for 51 years — and squandered a chance to qualify for the Champions League when they lost the Europa League final to Tottenham.

They have fared little better this season, sitting 10th in the Premier League after losing three of their first seven league games and crashing to a shock League Cup defeat at fourth-tier Grimsby.

Yet Amorim has so far retained the support of Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada, and director of football Jason Wilcox.

“First of all, I can feel it. It’s not just that thing that people talk, I feel it every day. Sometimes the pressure that I put on the team, on myself, is so much bigger than them,” said Amorim.

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“I know that it’s going to take a while, but I don’t want to think like that. I said that last year. I think it also helps our fans to understand that the leadership understands that it’s going to take a while.

“But, at the same moment, I don’t like that because it will give a feeling that we have time to work things out. I don’t want that feeling here in our club.

“It’s good to feel the support but we need to prove in football, and especially in big clubs, that in every weekend we are ready to win games.”

A 2-0 victory over Sunderland before the international break eased the scrutiny on Amorim’s position.

Goalkeeper Senne Lammens made a positive impression on his debut against the Black Cats — sections of the United support even compared him with club great Peter Schmeichel.

United have been hampered by numerous goalkeeping errors from both Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir during Amorim’s reign.

“The first impression in this club is really important. To maintain the level is even more important and is really difficult,” said Amorim.

“He’s not Schmeichel, yet, he’s a young guy with talent, he showed a lot of composure and the fans liked it, but that is in the past and we need to prove in the next game.”

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Troubled Manchester United crashed to a 3-1 defeat at Brentford on Saturday as Bruno Fernandes’s penalty miss piled pressure on beleaguered boss Ruben Amorim.

Amorim’s side paid the price for another error-strewn display as Igor Thiago netted twice in the opening 20 minutes to punish shambolic defending.

Benjamin Sesko reduced the deficit with his first goal for United before half-time.

But United captain Fernandes squandered a golden opportunity to rescue a draw when his tame penalty was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher late in the second half before Mathias Jensen wrapped up the points in stoppage time.

Amorim had arrived in west London hoping to finally win successive league matches as United boss.

Instead, he left fearing the sack after the latest low moment since he moved from Sporting Lisbon to replace the axed Erik ten Hag in November.

United have lost three of their six Premier League games this season, winning just twice, and are languishing in 13th place.

A humiliating League Cup loss at fourth-tier Grimsby in August had fuelled speculation over Amorim’s future, with the boss admitting he had thought about quitting and often hated his players.

The 40-year-old was under fire again after a miserable 3-0 loss at Manchester City before last weekend’s 2-1 win over Chelsea gave him a little breathing space.

Losing to a Brentford team beaten three times in their first five games under the inexperienced boss Keith Andrews was a fresh indignity for Amorim, who will face renewed questions about his ability to revive United.

United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe reportedly gave his backing to Amorim during a recent meeting at the club’s training ground.

Ratcliffe’s support is likely to waver after this result, which leaves Amorim in dire need of a win over promoted Sunderland at Old Trafford next weekend before a daunting trip to champions Liverpool.

Matheus Cunha returned to the United team as the Brazilian started along with Benjamin Sesko and former Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo in attack for the first time since the trio’s summer moves.

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But United’s recent trips to Brentford have proved painful experiences, with a 4-0 defeat three years ago and a 4-3 loss in May.

Their latest visit to west London was no exception as United’s flaws were quickly exposed when Thiago struck after just eight minutes.

Jordan Henderson played an acceptable lofted pass beyond United’s flat-footed defence and, with Harry Maguire’s offside appeal in vain, Thiago drilled a clinical finish past Altay Bayindir from just inside the penalty area.

Brentford struck again in the 20th minute when Thiago flicked on to Kevin Schade, who burst into the area for a shot that Bayindir could only palm to Thiago, who poked home from close range.

Signed from Club Brugge to replace Bryan Mbeumo, Thiago already has five goals for the Bees, while the United forward, who netted 20 times in the league last term, has just two this season.

Like Mbeumo, Sesko had endured a disappointing start following his move from Leipzig.

The 22-year-old Slovenian finally showed a glimpse of his potential in the 26th minute.

Kelleher failed to deal with Patrick Dorgu’s cross under pressure from Mbeumo, and Sesko converted the rebound after his first two efforts were saved.

Yet United’s sloppy defending almost cost them again as Diogo Dalot’s weak challenge in the area was shrugged off by Kevin Schade, who teed up Dango Ouattara for a low shot that Bayindir saved at full stretch.

Amorim was given a lifeline in the 75th minute when Nathan Collins’ tug on Mbeumo conceded a penalty.

But after a long delay for a VAR check and a host of substitutions, Fernandes took a weak spot-kick that Kelleher easily saved.

As the final seconds ticked away, United were caught with a sucker punch on the counter.

Jensen raced away unchallenged and cut inside for a ferocious strike that fizzed into the roof of the net as Amorim’s misery mounted.

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