The Portuguese tactician feels Manchester United are better off not playing European football this season
After opening their Premier League season with a defeat and draw, Manchester United now shift focus to the Carabao Cup with a second-round clash away to Grimsby Town at Blundell Park on Wednesday evening.
The Mancunian giants lost 1-0 to Arsenal at home on the opening weekend of the campaign and drew 1-1 at Fulham last weekend, thus, picking up just one point from two games. It is not an ideal start to the 2025/26 season for Ruben Amorim, who has already been under pressure from fans and pundits alike after finishing the previous campaign 15th on the table.
Ending the campaign a lowly 15th and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao means Manchester United have not qualified for Europe this term. The Red Devils are missing out on Europe for only the second time since English clubs returned to UEFA competition after a five-year ban in 1990.
The Portuguese tactician feels Manchester United are better off not playing European football this season.
Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty as Manchester United drew 1-1 with Fulham last weekend
Ruben Amorim thinks Manchester United are not prepared to play in Europe
While the fans are unhappy to not see their team participate in any of the continental competition, Ruben Amorim feels the midweek distractions of European football is a positive and will give him more time on the pitch to build his Man United squad.
“I think we were not prepared to play in Europe,” Amorim said ahead of Man United’s trip to Grimsby Town (h/t The Guardian).
“That is my feeling; to have strong games in the Champions League and to play Premier League we need time to develop as a team.
“I said last season we need time to prepare for every game. The games are really competitive and we need to build to our base and then to perform. And then in the future we need to have Europe for everyone to play games.”
Ruben Amorim feels Manchester United are better off not playing in Europe
Ruben Amorim feels Manchester United are not equipped to play in Europe this season
Fans want to see improvement in performances and results on the pitch
A prestigious club like Man United have to be in Europe by hook or crook. There cannot be any excuses for that, but the reality is we will not participate in any European competition and that just tells us how bad Amorim’s team were last season.
Now that there are no midweek European distractions, fans would expect improved performances and results from the Portuguese boss’ side. The performance in the defeat to Arsenal was encouraging and the fans expected the boys to build on it at Fulham; however, they were proven wrong as the Cottagers held United to a 1-1 draw. The scoreline, in reality, flattered us.
So, the onus is on Amorim to guide United to a first victory of the campaign on Wednesday and ease the early criticism.