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'The good days are coming' - fighting words from Amorim as Man Utd season ends on high note

UNITED WE STAND: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.

Manchester United 2 Aston Villa 0

RUBEN Amorim and Manchester United finally gave their supporters some hope to cling onto as they ended Aston Villa’s bid for Champions League football, with the beleaguered manager going even further in his post-match apology to fans.

In keeping with club tradition, Amorim took to a microphone to address the crowd at full-time, offering the mea culpa he had promised, for overseeing United’s worst season since being relegated in 1974.

Those fans have barely hurled a word of criticism in Amorim’s direction in the six months he has been in charge at Old Trafford, especially when he was leading them to the Europa League final, which they lost to Tottenham in midweek.

And his name rang out around Old Trafford after Amad Diallo had masterminded United’s biggest home league win in five largely miserable months.

“First of all, I want to apologise for this season,” Amorim told them. “I know you are really disappointed with me and really disappointed with the team.

“Second thing, I want to say thank you. We are very grateful for your support during the season, and I know that was really hard to do this in many games.

“But now we have to make a choice. Are we staying stuck in the past - because this season is in the past; it’s over - and fight each other.

“Or do we stick together and move forward. Six months ago, in my first three games in charge, we took two victories and one draw, I said to you, ‘the start is coming.’

“Today, after this disastrous season, I want to tell you, the good days are coming. If there is one club alone that has proved in the past that they can overcome any situation, any disaster, it’s our club, it’s Manchester United Football Club.”

Fighting words, although the sight of Alejandro Garnacho, axed from the squad after he took to social media to complain about his midweek omission from the Final line-up, was a reminder of the many problems facing the manager.

United will listen to offers for Garnacho, adding him to a long list of sales they want to make, in addition to Jonny Evans, Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen who are out of contract and were presented for a farewell to fans after the game.

Amorim tried to play down the controversy over Garnacho in his press conference. “He’s one more player of Manchester United,” he said. “I don’t know what is going to happen in the future but he’s a normal player.” As for the personnel changes that he has long talked about, Amorim conceded that profit and sustainability rules are going to be a major problem for United this summer.

“With the financial rules we are limited, especially this year,” he said. “We have to be patient because of the limitations of the fair play rules.”

But, when pressed further about what had prompted him to make such a positive promise to supporters on the pitch a few minutes earlier, Amorim doubled down on his claim that the six months he has been at Old Trafford have already brought about improvements - a view hardly supported by results.

“I think we’re improving as a team,” he said. “Sometimes results don’t show that but we are improving. The (Europa) final was not a good game but we were the better team, it was clear.

“We’re also changing so many things at Carrington (training ground), there are so many things that will be important in the future. We did a lot of changes in six months, that a normal club would do in three years.”

But such has been United’s level of dysfunction this season that they could consider themselves fortunate to escape with this win, even though Villa played the entire second half with ten men after keeper Emiliano Martinez was shown a straight red for body checking Rasmus Hojlund when he was clean through, 35 yards from goal.

With the game goalless, Villa had the ball in the United net on 73 minutes, after Morgan Rogers dispossessed keeper Altay Bayindir. Referee Thomas Bramall blew his whistle before the ball crossed the line, preventing VAR from over-turning his decision, although there was clearly no foul.

Villa confirmed they are to make an official complaint to the Premier League about their selection of an inexperienced referee to a game with a £100 million Champions League prize at stake.

“I spoke with the referee and he knew immediately he made a mistake,” said manager Unai Emery. “We have to accept the mistakes. I believe in VAR and I think we have very good referees in the Premier League. But sometimes they make mistakes.”

The decision proved a particularly cruel blow for Villa, who at that stage were on course for a top-five finish, as United’s opener came moments later when Bruno Fernandes chipped in a superb lofted pass and Diallo sprinted in to head home clinically from the corner of the six-yard box.

The United youngster also won an 87th minute penalty, after being tripped by Ian Maatsen, which was converted by substitute Eriksen to complete a victory, in which United had also struck the woodwork three times.

Manchester United (3-4-2-1): Bayindir 6; Lindelof 6, Maguire 7, Heaven 6 (Evans 66, 6); Mazraoui 7 (Dalot 19, 4; Mainoo 46, 6), Fernandes 7, Casemiro 6, Dorgu 7; Diallo 9, Mount 7 (Eriksen 66, 6); Hojlund 5 (Obi 80). Substitutes (not used) Collyer, Fredricson, Heaton, Mainoo, Ugarte.

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez 4; Cash 5, Konsa 5, Torres 7, Maatsen 4; Kamara 6 (Barkley 83), Onana 6 (Ramsey 63, 5); Rogers 6 (Malen 84), Asensio 6 (Olsen 45, 7), McGinn 5 (Tielemans 62, 5); Watkins 4. Substitutes (not used) Bailey, Digne, Garcia, Mings.

Referee: T Bramall 5