Manchester United came out firing amid criticism of Ruben Amorim's tactics before his team's 2-0 victory over Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
Man Utd head coach Ruben Amorim.
Man Utd head coach Ruben Amorim.(Image: Getty Images)
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Ruben Amorim has, arguably, bought himself more time than some other managers would have been afforded at Manchester United due to his handling of the difficult questions posed to him by the media.
United supporters have by and large warmed to the Portuguese head coach as he has often spoken with honesty and integrity which are admirable qualities. Amorim could never once be described as sugar-coating or skirting the main issues that have hindered the club since he arrived almost a year ago.
While results have been largely terrible, there's a feeling that something is building at United which never seemed to be the case under Erik ten Hag. While the Dutchman wilted to his players and altered his philosophies - which was ultimately his undoing - Amorim has stuck to his guns and when the performances have been good, they have been much better than other the previous regime.
However, this campaign has started with mediocre performances and results - at best. This has led to obvious questions about the Portuguese's tactical approach, not only within the press pack, but also among legendary figures at the club.
Wayne Rooney went as far as to say that he'd "lost faith" in Amorim's tactics, which was a damning indictment of the head coach's ideology. In response, Amorim insisted that he did not want to change anyone's opinions, but he warned critics that comments were seeping into his dressing room and altering the mindset of his team.
For once, Amorim appears to have made a minor misstep in his off-field communication. While he's right to feel concerned by the impact of pundits and journalists' comments influencing his players, the answer is not to warn critics against making those comments.
Instead, the Portuguese head coach should be taking a more inward approach, and addressing the mentality of those players in the dressing room who are being affected by such comments from the outside world. Rightly or wrongly, criticism of this team comes with the territory of being part of United.
They are one of the world's most widely supported clubs and every fan, media outlet and former player has an opinion on them. The criticism has become even more intense after the period of mediocrity that has followed Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.
Until United win the Premier League again, that will continue to pile up. So the answer is either sign players who have the mentality needed to represent such a club, or teach those that are already here to have tougher skins.
The idea that comments from the outside are leading players to question the manager is, frankly, unbelievable. Players should be above that and live in their own bubble.
Yes, it is harder than ever before due to social media providing no escape but, at the end of the day, the players at Carrington are paid handsomely to rise above that. Amorim's rebuild of this team is not complete and, hopefully from his perspective, the Portuguese can remove those from the squad who he feels are struggling to handle the pressure because if he doesn't it will, ultimately, be his job in the line instead.
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