- Ruben Amorim has been openly critical of his players on multiple occasions
- He famously called his team ‘probably the worst in Manchester United history’
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Is Amorim too honest?
Ruben Amorim lost more than half of his Premier League matches during a tough first season as Manchester United manager — but he has at least won the approval of defender Matthijs de Ligt thanks to his straight-talking approach.
Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag in the Old Trafford hot-seat in November. He then oversaw seven wins, six draws and 14 defeats in 27 league games, resulting in United finishing 15th in the table.
He fared much better in the Europa League, where he guided United to the final — only to see them lose to Tottenham in a low-quality affair in Bilbao.
Amorim has openly admitted that performances, as well as results, have not been good enough this season. In January, following a 3-1 home defeat by Brighton, he claimed his team was ‘probably the worst in Manchester United history’.
Speaking about the recent post-season tour of Asia, during which United lost 1-0 to an ASEAN All-Stars XI, Amorim then accused his players of being ‘chokers’ and suggested that hearing the fans booing may do them good.
His brutal honesty has raised eyebrows among pundits and fans, but it has struck a chord with De Ligt, who has featured in 42 games for United since joining from Bayern Munich last summer.
Ruben Amorim lost 14 of his 27 Premier League games in his first season as Man United boss
Amorim accused his team of being ‘chokers’ after they lost to an ASEAN All-Stars XI last week
United centre back Matthijs de Ligt has said he approves of his manager’s honest approach
‘I’m from Holland so I like it,’ De Ligt said. ‘I can understand the media are in shock because normally this doesn’t happen. But I think you can also be really happy that finally someone speaks out, says what he thinks and speaks the truth.’
‘I really appreciate him in our conversations personally. It gives me a feeling I can trust him and he can trust me.’
United’s 15th-place finish marks their lowest since 1973–74, and defeat in the Europa League final means they’ll be absent from Europe altogether next season.
Despite that, De Ligt believes Amorim is laying the groundwork for long-term success. ‘I’ve experienced many managers and he’s one of the most easy to talk to as a player,’ he added.
‘He’s really into details. Before signing new players, first he’s looking at the culture, what needs to change and what can be improved to become a better football club. From next season we will see more of that.
‘I think he wants to build a team of players who are together, fighting for each other and making the most out of what they have. Maybe before, you had the best players, but you’re not a team.’
