Ruben Amorim believes there is a sense of entitlement that is holding Manchester United back as he accused players of forgetting what it means to play for the club.
Amorim told Kobbie Mainoo to stay and fight for his place, rather than leaving because he is not in the team, as he told some of United’s young players they need to alter their attitude while he claimed he is improving the culture of the club, even if results have not been good enough.
The Portuguese was unhappy with now deleted social media posts from youngsters Harry Amass, who showed a picture of him winning player of the month at Sheffield Wednesday, and Chido Obi, who put a screenshot of a goal celebration, after he said they were struggling in the Championship and not always starting for the Under-21s respectively.
Meanwhile, England international Mainoo’s brother wore a T-shirt at Old Trafford on Monday saying “Free Kobbie Mainoo” after Amorim did not give the midfielder a league start yet this season.
Former United players Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt have advised Mainoo to look for a transfer but Amorim sees that as part of a broader problem and said the correct approach is to remain and prove him wrong.
He said: “I think it is the feeling of entitlement that we have in our club. Sometimes strong words is not bad words. Sometimes difficult moments is not a bad thing for the kids. We don’t need to be always with accolades in everything, in every situation.
“Nowadays a lot of players speak and go against the club because they feel entitlement and then we have legends of the club saying, ‘If you don’t play, leave, because everyone is wrong’. No, let’s stay, let’s fight, let’s overcome, maybe the manager is wrong. So I have that feeling all the time that we have to fight against this feeling.
“Sometimes I am the first to say that I am failing this club inside the pitch, I have that feeling we are not performing the way we should be. But outside the pitch I guarantee you I am not failing this club.
“I think it is something in our club. The players sometimes forget what it means to play for Manchester United. We as a club sometimes forget who we are and that is the feeling I have. I understand everything, it is the environment of the players, the kids, they feel free to reply to the manager with a picture.”
Amorim said the way to address any grievances is to go and see him rather than going public.
He added: “The door to my office is open. Nobody is coming to talk to me and that is the way we can solve things so I think we need to change as a club.”
Amorim will be without the suspended Casemiro at Aston Villa on Sunday and said Mainoo’s chances of playing will not be affected by his brother.
He explained: “It was not Kobbie that wore the T-shirt. He is not going to start because of the T-shirt or go to the bench because of it. He is going to play if he is the right player to play. I am not going to do something to Kobbie because someone in his family is doing something.”
