The contrast in Ruben Amorim’s mood from now to last season is stark, and although results will dictate it from now on, the change is palpable.
From Luke Shaw praising the dressing room culture after a long time, to the new signings settling in well, Ruben Amorim has created a unified team.
With no European football this season, it also allows him a soft landing in his first full season, as they will play one game a week, most weeks.
However, that has also had an impact on the players’ psyche, with the Man Utd manager noting the players are already ‘scared’ of one thing, but it’s a welcome change.
Casemiro of Manchester United celebrates scoring his teams first goal with teammates Bruno Fernandes and Patrick Dorgu during the pre-season friendly match between Manchester United and ACF Fiorentina at Old Trafford on August 09, 2025
Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images
Ruben Amorim says Man Utd players ‘scared’
Man Utd fans could be forgiven for feeling traumatised after seeing Amorim talk about his players being scared.
A lack of mental resolve was repeatedly brought up last season as a reason behind United’s failures, as they seemed to give up when the slightest bit of momentum went against them.
However, fear can be a motivator as well, and Amorim, speaking to United’s matchday programme ahead of the Arsenal fixture, said he senses the right kind of fear in the Man Utd squad now.
He said that with no European games, his players are scared to be rested for even a single game, thinking that the competition for places will see them fall down the pecking order.
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He said: “There’s a good thing called ‘competition’. The players know there are no European games. You can only start 11 players. I can already feel that the players are scared when they miss one game to rest; they want to get their place back straightaway. This is good.”
Amorim will truly be judged this season
After what was effectively a free hit for the entirety of the 2024/25 season, he was in charge at Old Trafford, and all the noises coming from the camp this season are positive.
It inevitably means that Amorim will be truly judged this season on results and performances, instead of just building blocks.
He has already accepted that another run of form like last season won’t suffice, and to his credit, the team has looked much better in the pre-season.
The true task will begin with the competitive fixtures, where the club will be tested in high-pressure situations, and how they respond to setbacks.
The players being desperate to play every game possible is a huge plus, as it drives each one to be at their best, and there will be no hiding place.
Amorim promised at the end of the last season that the “good days are coming”. Nobody is expecting a Premier League title this season, but a marked improvement is a necessity.