Ruben Amorim has revealed he received a show of support from Sir Jim Ratcliffe after Manchester United’s co-owner flew in for a meeting on Thursday.
Amorim is under pressure after a start to the season in which United have taken four points from four league games and suffered a shock exit from the Carabao Cup with a second-round defeat at Grimsby. The Portuguese met Ratcliffe after he arrived at United’s Carrington training ground in a helicopter, along with the chief executive, Omar Berrada, and football director, Jason Wilcox, and insisted the discussions were positive.
“He was offering me a new contract,” joked Amoim of Ratcliffe. “[No], it’s normal things, just to show the support. Explaining that it’s a long project. He said many times: ‘This is my third season.’ For me it’s not. I spoke with him, with Omar, with Jason. Just trying to see all the data around the team. So a normal meeting and we had several, but at this moment it’s normal people pay attention to that.”
Sir Alex Ferguson (top left) behind Jason Wilcox, next to Omar Berrada and then Sir Jim Ratcliffe, during Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat at City on 14 September. Photograph: David Blunsden/Action Plus/Shutterstock
Amorim acknowledged he has to win more matches. “This is football and this is the club with more pressure in the world,” the 40-year-old said. “But we want to win. Last year I was very critical of the way we play. [This year] we are playing well until the boxes. Defending and attacking. We need to be more aggressive in the boxes. We need to be more clinical.
“The rest I think we are improving. Comparing to last year we are in a better place. But again we need to win. We lost against Arsenal and we lost against [Manchester] City. And here losing, especially in the beginning after last season [finishing 15th], is a problem.”
Speaking at a 40th anniversary gala dinner for the Association of Manchester United Players, Wilcox indicated the pressure the executive is under. “I just pray that we get the opportunity to turn it around and I really feel that it’s not will we win again, it’s when we’ll win again,” he said. “It has been a rollercoaster. I came in last April, around 18 months ago, and it’s been a real challenge – I can’t lie.
“I thought the club was in a much better place than it was. We had no football identity, we lacked alignment between ownership, the CEO, football and the academy and we’ve just been working so hard behind the scenes.”
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Amorim will have Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount available for Chelsea’s visit to Old Trafford on Saturday evening and he brushed aside questions regarding Alejandro Garnacho’s return to the venue. The winger joined Chelsea for £40m last month.
“Garnacho is not our player,” said Amorim. “I’m focused on our players – I’m really happy with Mase and Cunha returning. That is my focus. And the rest you have to talk with the Chelsea manager.”
