Ruben Amorim's Man Utd ultimatum underlines his authority despite the toughest of seasons

New York Times

26-05-2025

It is difficult to know what to expect from Ruben Amorim whenever he is in front of a microphone.
The only guarantee is an unusual openness for a person in his position, in an industry as closed-off and calculated as professional football.
Amorim promised to be as honest as ever when addressing supporters after the final whistle at Old Trafford on the last day of a wretched Premier League campaign for Manchester United, which left someone of his candour with a lot of room to put the past season to rights.
Had he so desired, he could have repeated his infamous admission that he is presiding over 'one of the worst teams in the history of Manchester United', on the day their lowest final placing and points tally of the Premier League era were set down in black and white for the history books.
He could have self-flagellated, highlighting his own failings and limitations, or even reiterated that if he does not feel up to the task, he will leave.
With his very first words, he apologised, as he said he would.
But even he understood that anything more than that apology might have been a bit too much straight-talking when in front of 73,839 people who expected better when this season started nine months ago, will expect far better when the next one begins in August, and who he needs to bring with him.
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After a season spent going backwards, United have to look forward now, and Amorim correctly made this the thrust of his address.
'Six months ago, in my first three games in charge, with two victories and one draw, I said to you the storm is coming,' he told the fans from the pitch after Sunday's game with Aston Villa. 'Today, after this disaster season, I want to tell you the good days are coming.'
Those words were preceded by an ultimatum.
'Now we have to make a choice or we stay stuck in the past, because this season is in the past, it's over,' he said. 'We fight each other or we stick together and move forward.'
Amorim had a similar line in his post-match press conference about how, in trying moments, 'we blame each other sometimes as a club, as a family'.
To an extent, there must be recriminations. Lessons have to be learnt. Not every United career will survive the indignity of this desperate campaign. But those who do survive will need to come away from it pulling in the same direction. And make no mistake, that direction is Amorim's.
His invitation to United's executive committee meeting in Monaco on Friday, as revealed by The Athletic, underlines the club's consistent position before and after the defeat in last week's Europa League final: Old Trafford's key decision-makers firmly believe he is the right person to lead this club into the next campaign.
As he told his players in a meeting at Carrington on Saturday, he will be in charge next season, which will mean that some members of this squad do not remain in his charge past this summer.
Alejandro Garnacho joined his team-mates to listen to Amorim's speech and took part in the subsequent 'lap of appreciation' — note: not a lap of honour — leaving to chants of 'Viva Garnacho' from the fans in the Stretford End.
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When that same chant was heard during the 2-1 Europa League win over Rangers, at the height of speculation over Garnacho's future in January, it felt pointed. This time, it felt more like a farewell.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of instructing a young player of Garnacho's undoubted potential to find a new club, it leaves no uncertainty over Amorim's level of authority. He is doing the job on his terms, and now in more ways than one.
Amorim famously made clear that his preference was to wait until the end of the season before taking this job, and although that was possibly as much about his sense of obligation to then employers Sporting CP as any concerns about United, he has regularly outlined the challenges that arriving mid-season has presented.
Having now got to the point where in an ideal world he might be just starting out at United, the only saving grace of the painful past six months is that they can serve as Amorim's 'year zero' — that, as he said in the build-up to Sunday's game, he can 'use all that suffering' to change things.
This positive outlook was easier to swallow after Sunday's 2-0 defeat of Champions League-chasing Villa, only Amorim's seventh win from 27 Premier League matches in charge. Even though Villa felt aggrieved with the controversial decision to disallow a Morgan Rogers goal that would have put them in front with 15 minutes of the 90 to play, they were second-best even before going down to 10 men in first-half stoppage time.
With the pressure off, United put in one of their best all-round performances under Amorim against highly-motivated opponents. If that speaks to familiar concerns about this squad wilting when the lights are brightest, it at least offers a sliver of hope that they can compete at the level they need to reach.
Amorim will take all the positives he can get heading into the summer. When asked whether he was ready for a break, he said: 'I'm really excited to finish this season, to be honest with you guys, but I'm really excited to start again.'
That might sound like a contradiction in terms — as though he is sugar-coating his true feelings for once — but it makes a good deal of sense.
Speak to anyone connected to United and there is palpable relief that this most testing of seasons has reached its close, save this week's two-game post-season tour to Malaysia and Hong Kong. But with its end comes the opportunity for a new start.