There have been huge changes at Man United over the last 12 months, including Ruben Amorim's appointment.
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14:08, 24 May 2025
Amorim spoke on Saturday.(Image: Getty)
Ruben Amorim believes major "changes" at Manchester United have contributed to an awful season.
United lost 1-0 against Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Europa League in Bilbao on Wednesday night, stumbling to defeat after a first-half goal from Brennan Johnson.
Amorim was appointed from Sporting Lisbon in November, but he has failed to improve the team's form and United are set to record their lowest ever points total in the Premier League.
The 40-year-old spoke to journalists ahead of facing Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon ,and he opened up about his difficult debut campaign in Manchester.
"It was really tough, it still is really tough," Amorim said about the Europa League final defeat. "I think it was harsh for us to lose that game, I think we were the better team and we created more chances.
"We suffer a goal near the half-time and try everything in the second half, but it was really hard because like I said before the match, if you don’t win the final, it’s really harder to deal with that."
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Amorim continued: "I will not try to convince you otherwise, it’s been a tough season, but we had that hope we could win something and that could help us to finish the season in a different way.
"The way we can get up is to focus on the next game, to finish in a good way. When you start thinking about the future and the squad, a new season is going to start, and we will start with new ambitions and try to do better.
"I think these six months were really hard, a lot of changes, not just for me, but for all of the club. We did so many changes inside the club, sometimes it takes like five years or three years to change all the personnel and a lot of things. We changed coach in the middle of the season and we changed the way we play.
"It was a really tough season. Now it's the part we need to enjoy, to focus on the future and be positive. We know what to do, I know how I want to play, that is clear. With all the mistakes you guys point to me, I know how I want to play and that is the exciting moment we can change something."
Aston Villa make the trip to Old Trafford this weekend and have a settled hierarchy at Villa Park, which has seen them establish themselves as consistent European challengers.
"They have stability, they are used to fighting for the first places, so we want to do that also, but there are a lot of things that are really good with this kind of club," said Amorim
"But when you are in this situation, you feel it will take time, but we will improve. It’s not [how many] windows and sometimes we don’t know. Things can change fast. I cannot say how many windows or how many years to reach that point, but we can improve, that is clear."
Amorim confirmed his squad would be assessed after the final game of the season. "We have the next game against Aston Villa, we need to focus on that. This is not over," he said.
"We want to finish in a good way in front of our supporters. So that is important, the rest is we'll assess the squad and we know what to do. We'll deal with that when the season is finished and the season is not finished yet."
Amorim is also now happy to have been appointed during the season, despite informing United's board in November it was his preference to take over at Old Trafford in the summer.
"In this moment, I’m really glad that I arrived six months before we start a new season. I think we are going to avoid a lot of mistakes that would be in the next season," said Amorim.
"Now is the time that we can use all that suffering to change things in the summer. And when I say in the summer it’s not just the players. There are a lot of things that we need to change in our club.
"So we are doing that - we did it for six months. We changed in every aspect of our club so I’m really glad in this moment. We suffered a lot but I’m really glad I arrived six months earlier because it’s going to help me a lot in the next season.
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