Ruben Amorim has challenged his Manchester United players to prove Sir Jim Ratcliffe wrong after his brutal criticism of the squad
Ruben Amorim has challenged his Manchester United players to prove Sir Jim Ratcliffe was wrong to brand some of them “overpaid and not good enough”.
United minority owner Ratcliffe delivered his blunt assessment of some of the club's players earlier this week, with the team down in 14th place in the Premier League.
The players Ratcliffe was referring to included Casemiro, Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana, as well as Antony and Jadon Sancho, both of whom are currently out on loan.
Amorim admitted he should also be included in the assessment of those who are currently under-performing and said he and his players should use Ratcliffe's words to spur them on.
Ruben Amorim receives timely Man Utd injury boost as forgotten man returns to training
Marcus Rashford exit 'could cost Man Utd £20m' if he leaves permanently this summer
"I think if we are being honest at this moment, everybody - me, all the players - we are underperforming this season,” said Amorim.
"So we can always change that and I include myself in that part of the underperforming. You are talking about players like Casemiro, for example, that won everything and we know these kinds of players can play so much better. So that is the focus. He was honest on that, the focus is to change his mind and change all the people’s minds.
"I think it’s the right way to do it. If you are a top player playing in this club, even me - a lot of people say I am not good enough for the club - my feeling is that you can change that with results. In training, I feel that they want this really bad, especially for tomorrow.”
Ratcliffe claimed some United stars were overpaid and not good enough in a candid interview
(
Image:
Manchester United via Getty Imag)
On his relationship with Ratcliffe, Amorim said: "It’s really good, since day one, I think we are really blunt and honest with each other. He’s a little bit of a character, so we are quite similar [in] that.
"I always felt the support of the board and especially Sir Jim. I cannot tell you the conversations, but they are simple conversations, clear conversations and honest conversations. All these conversations I already had with them [Ratcliffe and the club hierarchy] after matches, they went to the dressing room, but to say it publicly is really good for the coach."
United face Real Sociedad tomorrow in the second leg of their last 16 Europa League tie, with Amorim admitting it is vital for them to go through, to keep their season alive.
"In that context it's also important, to give us more energy to continue the season,” said Amorim. "We know that. It is not going to change the idea for the next season, but it will give us more energy to finish the season in a different way, so it's important."
On United's planned new £2billion stadium, Amorim said: "It's an amazing stadium, like it should be, but it's in the future, five years from now, so we have to focus on the present and I'm really excited to win things in Old Trafford. That's our focus."
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Sky Sports launches discounted Premier League package £35 (was £43)