Ruben Amorim faced criticism for his comments after the Manchester derby defeat to Manchester City, but Peter Schmeichel has explained his stance on the matter
16:36, 18 Sep 2025
Ruben Amorim, Manager of Manchester United acknowledges the Manchester United supporters after the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Etihad Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Manchester, England.
Ruben Amorim's tactics have been questioned(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Peter Schmeichel reckons Ruben Amorim was mistaken to imply Manchester United should dismiss him if they desire transformation.
Following the Manchester derby loss, Amorim was questioned about whether he'd alter his tactics after United's poorest Premier League campaign start since 1992/1993.
Amorim replied: "When I want to change my philosophy, I will change. If not, you have to change the man. I believe in my way and I am going to play my way until I want to change."
United's manager has remained loyal to his tactics, but Schmeichel felt Amorim erred in his post-match media briefing by 'positioning himself above the club'.
During a chat with Sky Bet, Schmeichel responded to the Manchester derby loss, which heightened the scrutiny on Amorim at a crucial moment when he must deliver favourable outcomes, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel slammed the current Man Utd boss(Image: Sky Bet)
Schmeichel stated: "You always have to look at what the manager's job is; you're employed to win football matches. At Manchester United, that also means winning trophies, and right now he's not doing that.
"His win percentage is around 36%, which is the worst performer of any United manager since World War II. Sticking by his guns obviously isn't working.
"Bruno Fernandes said after Sunday's game that it's very difficult to play in midfield when you're always one man short, because you can't cover the ground. The system might look good when it works, but it hasn't worked yet. And I don't think the system itself can be the most important thing.
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"For me, the art of coaching is to get the maximum out of the players you have available. Right now, it's clear not all of them are playing to their potential. They look confused, sometimes disorganised, especially at the back. That's where the manager has to take a look and change something.
"I say this because I was at United during a rebuilding phase, when we were moving towards winning trophies and the Premier League. Certain standards were always in place.
"The main one was simple - no one is ever bigger than the club. That applied from the manager down through the players and staff. If someone tried to go their own way and it didn't work, it couldn't continue.
"That was drilled into us every single day. Sir Alex Ferguson gave us a framework that was very simple and easy to understand. It started with not conceding goals, and then it was about recruiting players who could both defend under pressure and take risks going forward.
"Guys like Gary Pallister, Steve Bruce, myself behind them, Paul Parker and Denis Irwin as attacking full-backs. It worked because it was simple, and because of the mentality and quality of the players.
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"Right now, I don't think we're getting the quality out of the players we have. They can do more. The manager has to change his ways. I didn't like what he said the other day – 'If you want change, you have to change the coach'.
"I like him a lot, I like his leadership qualities, and he came in during a very difficult period with unwanted players and dealt with it well. But as a Manchester United person, I don't like that sentence. That's putting yourself above the club and I don't like that."