Rúben Amorim says he and his Manchester United players are “fighting” for their jobs in the final months of the season after a difficult campaign so far.
The Portuguese manager has struggled to turn around United’s fortunes since replacing the sacked Erik ten Hag in November.
The club opted not to strengthen their attacking options in the January transfer window, despite loaning out Marcus Rashford and Antony, along with defender Tyrell Malacia.
The departure of homegrown forward Rashford to Aston Villa for the remainder of the season has been the most notable decision made by Amorim.
The 27-year-old’s loan deal is reported to include an option for a permanent move, but Amorim showed no interest in discussing the England international further when he faced reporters on Thursday.
“We are fighting for our jobs until the summer,” he said.
“So, I am just focused on these games. Thankfully, Marcus is in Birmingham now with Unai (Emery), so you can take these questions to another coach. We are just focused on our players at the moment.”
Amorim, whose team host Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday, admitted United had taken a risk with their transfer decisions, acknowledging that the remainder of the season would be tough.
United brought in highly rated defenders Patrick Dorgu, 20, and 18-year-old Ayden Heaven.
“I think it is difficult to turn things around in just a few games,” Amorim said. “It’s going to be really tough until the end of the season.
“We are taking that risk you mentioned because we want something different in our team—different profiles—and that is my responsibility. It was my decision to do that.”
He added that the club was determined not to repeat past mistakes in the transfer market.
“What I feel is the club is taking its time,” Amorim said. “We understand the urgency of the situation, but nobody here wants to make the same mistakes we did in the past. So, we have to improve the players we have and focus on winning games.”
Amorim admitted he was under enormous pressure to deliver, with United languishing in 13th place in the Premier League.
“Since day one, whether we have good results or bad results, I have a clear idea of what I want to do, and I take these risks because I believe it will pay off in the end,” he said.
“But I’m not naive — I’ve said that many times. This is a results-driven sport, and we are in a difficult situation.”
Van Nistelrooy, a former United star striker, returns to Old Trafford for the first time since leaving his role as assistant manager following Amorim’s appointment.
United confirmed on Thursday that defender Lisandro Martínez had sustained cruciate ligament damage, which is likely to rule him out for the rest of the season.
AFP
