Ruben Amorim has warned his jubilant Manchester United players not to get carried away after they delivered a timely Premier League win over Chelsea.
Manchester United went into the game slumped down in 17th place in the table with pressure on Amorim’s job at what felt like an all-time high.
Club legends have spent the past week calling the Portuguese head coach’s future into question and here was the perfect retort.
Goals from Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro ensured victory, despite a late fightback from Chelsea, on a day where both sides finished with 10 men.
Asked if United sent a message back to Amorim’s critics, the United head coach scoffed.
‘It’s nothing about that!’ Amorim said.
Manchester United’s players were told not to over celebrate after beating Chelsea on Saturday
Ruben Amorim was a relieved man – but he knows it is just one match and he needs more
‘People don’t have too many good things to say about our team and our results. I understand that, I’m just joking around all the time.
‘I have nothing to say to the critics, they are right most of the time. But we won, and that’s a good thing for us.’
United’s players soaked up a lap of appreciation in the rain at full-time – a rarity these days.
But Amorim warned his players against getting complacent given the sluggish start to the season ahead of another tough test away at Brentford next weekend.
‘Now it’s time to create a bit of momentum,’ he said.
‘We deserved the win, it’s just one win. And we need to think about the next one.
‘It’s really important because I understand the environment around the team and the coach. This game was really important for that.
‘It’s Manchester United winning a game at home, it’s just that. Three points. It’s trying to create the momentum.
Gary Neville (left) and Paul Scholes (right) both questioned Amorim’s future in the last week
‘We cannot forget that we suffer a lot when we are not in the top, in our maximum in all aspects. We can lose against Grimsby, we can win against any team. We need to take that for the next week.
‘Of course it’s really good to win, you can feel the environment in the dressing room. But forget that feeling. I prefer the other feeling now, because it will bring us the urgency to win again. That is really important again.’
United legend Nicky Butt has been particularly vocal in his criticism of the team.
‘Forget the system,’ Butt told The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast. ‘The players are just not at the level that Manchester United need.
‘They’re not aggressive enough, they’re not quick enough, they’ve not got the legs in midfield. They’re playing two in midfield, Bruno [Fernandes] in there, and he hasn’t got the legs to do it in a three let alone a two.
‘If they want results and he wants to keep his job in the long run, he’s going to have to bite the bullet and change a little bit.
‘If he doesn’t, they’re going to keep losing games.’
