Michael Owen has insisted Manchester United will continue to back Ruben Amorim despite suggestions from Phil Jones that certain players within the squad "don't like him." Amorim has struggled to make his mark at Old Trafford since taking over from Erik ten Hag last November, enduring a trophyless debut campaign with United and a 15th-place finish in the Premier League.
Regardless, the hierarchy has shown considerable faith in the 40-year-old this summer by providing substantial financial backing to enhance his chances of turning things around. Amorim has not only been granted over £200million to strengthen his squad through signings such as Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, but has also benefited from a complete pre-season programme to ready his team for the campaign ahead. And former United forward Owen believes the move demonstrates the club's commitment to supporting Amorim through difficult times.
Speaking to A Bola, the 45-year-old said: "I think Manchester United is a patient club. Of course, they can't go year after year without doing things well. Man United gave Ruben Amorim almost a year, and it was a very poor year in the Premier League.
"They've never finished so low in the table. Many clubs would say that's not enough, that they need a new manager. But Manchester United stuck with him, and I think it's a good decision.
"They spent a lot of money, which shows they have confidence in him. You hear all kinds of rumours, but not about the club wanting to change. They're showing loyalty, that they believe in the manager. I believe that, in the short term, Ruben Amorim still has the club's trust."
Having secured just one victory from their opening three Premier League fixtures this term, United supporters may well question whether Amorim represents the correct appointment for the role. Their shocking Carabao Cup elimination at the hands of League Two outfit Grimsby Town last month heaped additional scrutiny upon the Portuguese tactician.
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Despite never featuring under Amorim's guidance, given Ten Hag remained in charge of the Red Devils when he hung up his boots, Jones suspects there could be discord within his squad. Speaking to Ladbrokes, the defender, who made 229 appearances for United between 2011 and 2023, said: "Do I think there were players at United who didn't like him?
"To be honest, that's probably a ridiculous question because I'd say there are people in the United team now who don't like the manager. But there are probably players at Man City who feel the same way about [Pep] Guardiola; they can't stand him.
"There are people like that in every team; these are big groups of players and different personalities, and all of them are competitive, and think they should be playing more than they are. That will never, ever change.
"Even when a manager is flying, there will always be someone going, 'Well, he's not playing me, so he's not good.' Trust me, I've been there myself. I've been a young kid moaning about training being rubbish. But in reality it's not rubbish; you're just hurt and you don't know how to deal with it."
Fortunately for Amorim, he has a fortnight to fine-tune his approach during the international break before United's next Premier League fixture. However, he will need to orchestrate a much-improved display to overcome Guardiola's Manchester City when they resume action at the Etihad Stadium for the first Manchester derby of the season on Sunday, September 14.