Amorim: Utd spell most intense, but most special

Ruben Amorim has admitted his first few months at Manchester United have been the most intense of his career but also “the most special.”

The Portuguese manager took over at United in November after Erik ten Hag was sacked with the team 14th in the Premier League.

Amorim suffered six defeats in his first 11 league games at United, the worst start from anyone in charge at Old Trafford since 1932.

Asked if the last few months at United had been the most intense of his career, Amorim, who had guided Sporting to two league titles in four years, told TNT Brasil: “Yes but also the most special ones.

“The two sides of one coin. I knew it, I knew that it would be an exciting adventure. I knew it was going to be very difficult because everyone knew the calendar that we had and the lack of time [we had to prepare].

“We also had the notion of the challenges that we would find and obviously, with a few defeats everything becomes a little more complicated.”

After their last defeat, 3-1 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Jan. 19., an alarmed Amorim called the team “the worst, maybe, in the history of Manchester United.”

Amorim would later regret making that comment. United have won their last two games since Amorim’s outburst and are 12th in the Premier League.

“There’s no point in looking at the [Premier League] standings right now because we are not top or in the top positions,” Amorim said. “We need to be aware of the context. I don’t look at the standings, I look at what the team is doing, what we have to improve on.

“The important thing is that we have a clear idea and a clear path of what we want to do. Even in challenging times we are not lost.

“Perhaps we are more frustrated and angry but we know where to go.

“To feel the support of the fans despite the bad results is a sign that we are doing something well.”

Amorim made headlines earlier this week when he blasted out-of-favour Marcus Rashford for not giving his best.

Rashford was left out of the team for the 11th successive game by Amorim during United’s 1-0 Premier League win at Fulham on Sunday.

“I will put [63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge] Vital on before I put a player that doesn’t give the maximum every day”, he said of the England forward.

Asked if that was a message not just to Rashford but to all of his players, Amorim told TNT Brasil: “I don’t want to send messages to anyone.

“I’m demanding when it comes to certain things … I think in order for a group to win games and win titles you have to follow a criteria and if that criteria wasn’t there, everything would be subjective. There are certain things that have to be very clear with the players.”

Amorim, meanwhile, explained the reasons behind Casemiro‘s lack of playing time under him.

The veteran Brazil midfielder, who is in his third season at United, last played on Dec. 30.

“We realised that Casemiro nowadays has other things [to offer], such as intelligence, his understanding of the game,” Amorim said of the former Real Madrid star.

“But we are in a domestic and European league where the difference in intensity and physical demand is great and hence, I feel that this team needs high intensity players that at times we don’t have.

“We all know Casemiro’s quality, what he has won. It’s simply a selection [issue].”