Ruben Amorim has struggled in his first months at Manchester UnitedRuben Amorim has struggled in his first months at Manchester United
Ruben Amorim has struggled in his first months at Manchester United | Getty Images
Man Utd finished the season trophyless and without Champions League football.
Manchester United confirmed a dismal end to a hugely disappointing season as they lost 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on Wednesday night. Brennan Johnson scored the only goal of a scrappy and tense game as a lacklustre United side missed their shot at redemption.
United are 16th in the Premier League, one place above Tottenham, and will not play in Europe next season. Spurs might be lower in the table but can now claim a more successful campaign with a piece of silverware and Champions League qualification to show for it.
It puts even more pressure on head coach Ruben Amorim, who has won just 16 of his 41 games since he took charge of the club back in November last year. United have now lost 20 matches in all competitions, with 17 of those under the Portuguese boss. Here is what the Europa League loss means.
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What next for Ruben Amorim at Manchester United
Manchester United insisted before the Europa League final that Ruben Amorim would stay as their head coach whatever the outcome in Bilbao. That is not expected to have changed even after the full-time result was confirmed last night.
The defeat to Tottenham Hotspur was a reminder why Amorim did not want to take the United job midway through the season and why he would have preferred to wait until the end of the season to start work at the club. It is quite clear the United squad is not suited to his preferred style of play and Amorim was adamant he would not change their approach just to deliver short-term results.
It is still felt he can not be fairly judged until he has had chance to mould the squad into his vision, with a full pre-season campaign to work on their tactical shape and responsibilities. United will also benefit from much greater time on the training ground next season due to their lack of European football.
Speaking in the aftermath of the defeat to Tottenham, Amorim said: "In this moment, I am not here to defend myself. It's not my style. I have nothing to show to the fans. In this moment [I need] a little bit of faith. I am always open. If the board and the fans feel I'm not the right guy, I will go in the next day. But I will not quit again. I am confident in my job. As you see, I will not change anything in the way I do things."
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