Latest Manchester United news includes details of an executive committee meeting in Monaco after Europa League final defeat to Tottenham
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Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim flew to Monaco the day after the Europa League final
(Image: Getty Images)
Ruben Amorim was reportedly called to Monaco to have crunch talks following the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham last week.
After the disappointing domestic season in the Premier League - where they recorded their worst finish since 1974 - United were defeated 1-0 by Ange Postecoglou's team in Bilbao. The result denied them a place in next season's Champions League, which has ultimately made their summer recruitment more difficult.
They did finish the season with a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on the final day. The club has now jetted off to Malaysia for the first of a double-header post-season friendly matches against the ASEAN All-Stars and Hong Kong.
However, that wasn’t Amorim’s first trip. He travelled to Monaco on Friday after the final to attend a high-profile meeting with the club’s owners and executives, according to The Athletic. The meeting, which is said to take place every month at Ineos' headquarters, doesn’t normally involve the manager.
He then returned to Manchester and reportedly told his squad that he would be staying.
The report adds that Amorim departed with the backing of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and other club executives, but he faces mounting pressure to deliver. The former Sporting CP boss has won just 17 of his 41 games in charge at United.
"I have nothing to show to the fans, so at this moment it's a little bit of faith," said Amorim after the Europa League defeat. "So let’s see. I'm always open. If the board and the fans feel I'm not the right guy, I will go the next day, without any conversation about compensation.
"But I will not quit. I'm still really confident in my job and, as you can see, I will not change anything in the way I do things. I am always really honest."
He later took a different approach when addressing the fans at Old Trafford following the 2-0 win over Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League season.
"First of all, I want to apologise," the Portuguese said. "It was really disappointing with the team. Secondly, I want to say thank you. We are very grateful for your support during the season. I know it was really hard to support us in many games. But now we have to make a choice or we stay stuck in the past. Because this season is in the past, it's over.
"We fight each other or we stick together and move forward. Six months ago, in my first three games in charge, with two victories and one draw, I said to you a storm is coming. Today, after this disaster season, I want to tell you the good days are coming."
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