Ruben Amorim has admitted "sometimes I want to quit" in a sensational press conference after Manchester United's humiliating Carabao Cup defeat against Grimsby Town
14:13, 29 Aug 2025Updated 14:36, 29 Aug 2025
Ruben Amorim has said sometimes he wants to quit Manchester United and sometimes hates his players
Ruben Amorim has said sometimes he wants to quit Manchester United and sometimes hates his players(Image: Sky Sports)
Ruben Amorim has confessed "sometimes he wants to quit" as Manchester United manager in a sensational press conference amid the fallen giants' latest crisis.
Amorim was visibly upset following United's humiliating League Cup exit at the hands of League Two outfit Grimsby Town on Wednesday evening and conceded that "something has to change". His team were embarrassed by fourth tier opposition as they lost on penalties after a 2-2 draw and crashed out of the competition in only the second round.
The Portuguese coach has secured victory in just eight of his 34 domestic fixtures since taking charge of United, having overseen their worst season since they were relegated in 1974 last term, when they finished an abysmal 15th in the Premier League. And his side, who don't have European football to look forward to, now won't face another cup fixture until the FA Cup third round in January - heaping huge pressure on the beleaguered boss.
Amorim cautioned the United squad that he will remain brutally honest in his evaluation of the team should they endure further humiliating losses ahead, with newly-promoted Burnley set to visit Old Trafford on Saturday, after a defeat at home to Arsenal and draw away at Fulham.
United insiders have clarified that Amorim's "quit" remark was intended as light-hearted banter, rather than a genuine ultimatum, reports the Manchester Evening News. But he left reporters stunned as he said: ""Guys, to be really honest with you guys, every time that we have or have in the future one defeat like that, I'm going to be like that.
Manchester United players dejected against Grimsby
Manchester United's stars were humiliated against Grimsby(Image: Paul Currie/Shutterstock)
""I'm going to say that sometimes I hate my players, sometimes I love my players, sometimes I want to defend my players. I think this is my way of doing things and I'm going to be like that. And I felt that in that moment I was so frustrated and [annoyed].
"And I know, again, that you have a lot of experienced people talking about the way I should perform with the media, to be more constant, to be more calm. I'm not going to be like that.
"So I'm trying to accept that and I'm going to be who I am. That's why I have the passion that I have. In that moment I was really upset and really disappointed because I felt that we had a very good pre-season, we were playing better, we were being consistent in the way we played.
"We played badly for 30 minutes against Fulham. And then that kind of performance, I was really disappointed with everything. But now it's a new game and I'm focused on the next one.
"If you are in one way, if you have this kind of behaviour, you have to understand that you have things that is good on that type of behaviour, that you have the other side of the coin. So I understand that.
"And again, sometimes I want to quit, sometimes I want to be here for 20 years, sometimes I love to be with my players, sometimes I don't want to be with them. So, again, I need to improve on that. It's going to be hard. But now I'm good with the next one."
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Amorim confessed following United's Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in May that he would step down without any payout if he no longer enjoyed the support of the board.
When questioned whether he still harboured those sentiments, Amorim responded: "I felt that after the game [at Grimsby]. I don't feel that now. So it's a little bit like that.
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"I think that is the hardest part of the defeat. Sometimes it's not the result, it's the way we lost that game or draw that game. That is the thing that is hard to accept. Because we can do better.
"In this moment, we cover positions, fight for the ball, running, all these small things, sometimes we drop a little bit the level. The good thing is that we now have the next game to put that level up. And that is the problem."