Ruben Amorim took charge of Manchester United in November
Ruben Amorim took charge of Manchester United in November
Ruben Amorim says he is more worried about losing games than ultimately being sacked by Manchester United.
The United boss is under pressure after seven defeats in 13 Premier League games have left his struggling side down in 13th place in the table. But Amorim, who takes his side to fellow strugglers Tottenham on Sunday, said losing games is more of an issue for him than the prospect of losing his job.
The 40-year-old Portuguese coach has refused to compromise on his system and approach, despite it not yielding results and leaving him at risk of getting the boot. “I accept that,” said Amorim. “It’s a choice you make when you’re a coach, but I truly believe in the way I do things.
“I know at this kind of club, with this kind of pressure, you're always at risk. I'm aware of that, but it's not my biggest concern. Losing games is the hardest part of my job, not being sacked. I just want to win games.”
Asked if sticking to his principles, in the face of poor results, can be a weakness rather than a strength, Amorim acknowledged as much and said: “Yes, it can be. I think it can be a weakness in that moment, but then, if you believe in one thing or another, then you have to stick with that.
“I feel we focus a lot on the system, but the way we want to play this system is completely different than we're doing at the moment. But we're trying to improve so, to be direct with your question, yes, sometimes it's a strength and sometimes it's a weakness. I think everybody knows that.
“You have one idea. We will try to adapt the way we play within the same system and then you can play in different styles. If you change the profile of two players, you change the way the team plays, so for me that's more important than the system, where you start with the players.
“The first thing is I just want to win the games. Believe it or not, that is my only focus.” Amorim has come in for criticism for constantly changing his personnel and not sticking with one consistent line-up to give the players time to find consistency of performance.
The United boss is under pressure after seven defeats in 13 Premier League games
The United boss is under pressure after seven defeats in 13 Premier League games
The United boss played new signing, £29.2million left wing-back Patrick Dorgu, on the right in the last-gasp 2-1 FA Cup win over Leicester, but said there was a method in his apparent madness. “Dorgu was doing that in Lecce and sometimes having a left foot on the right is important,” said Amorim. “Especially when teams mark us one-on-one or are man-marking.
“I have the experience of playing that way against a 4-3-3 or a 5-4-1 and I know what kind of characteristics I need for it. But we also need time to work on everything. If I have an idea and if the connection is not yet there, I have to find that connection.
“So I'm trying everything to win the games and that’s why at times I'm changing so many things – I just want to win games.” With several first-team players missing through injury and illness, Amorim has looked to United's youth ranks to bolster his squad, with teenage striker Chido Obi among them.
The 17-year-old Dane has made a huge impact since joining United from Arsenal in October and scored a hat-trick in a 5-1 FA Youth Cup win over Chelsea in midweek. Obi could make the bench against Spurs and Amorim said: “We have problems this week, so we called some young players to be in our training. He is one of them."
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