"Ten Hag Was More Adequate." Amorim Mocked for His Words on Man United's Title Aspirations

The Portuguese coach is rapidly losing support from the football community.

In the middle of the COVID-affected 2019/2020 season, AC Milan had an agreement with our old acquaintance, Ralf Rangnick. He was set to replace Stefano Pioli in the summer of 2020. However, under Pioli’s guidance, the team unexpectedly won nine out of 12 matches, leading the Austrian to cancel his plans. According to Rangnick, he wanted to arrive at the Rossoneri as a "savior."

It seems that Rúben Amorim possesses a similar level of ambition. Leaving Sporting CP — a well-structured and Champions League-competitive team that he meticulously built — mid-season for today's Manchester United was a bold decision. As the coach now admits, he had no idea how tough it would be.

No one can accuse the 40-year-old Portuguese manager of dishonesty. At the very least, vigilant football fans have already compiled before-and-after photo collages of Amorim’s appearance pre- and post-United. He himself does not deny it: a couple of months in Manchester feel like ten years of life. Maintaining a healthy state of mind in such an environment is no easy task.

And fans began to sense that something was off. Perhaps Rúben is naturally a straightforward man, which partly justified his infamous comment about being ashamed of his team. Moreover, after the FA Cup loss to Fulham, he claimed that many of his players were already aware of their upcoming transfers. This statement, however, left fans puzzled.

What’s the point of essentially discarding players mid-season while United is still competing in the Europa League? Honesty? Rúben does have a reputation for being exceptionally principled. Unfortunately, such people usually don’t last long in the profession. But what truly shocked the public was another statement from Amorim.

That Manchester United’s goal is to win the Premier League. Of course, he wasn’t referring to the near future, but that didn’t stop the sarcastic jabs from flying his way—not just from fans, but also from club legends. Wayne Rooney, an iconic figure at Old Trafford, was bewildered:

"He's talking about winning the Premier League? That's naive! What makes him think he won’t be sacked soon? First, lift the team up the table, then talk about bigger things," the BBC quoted the former striker.

Amorim responded, saying he was referring to the long-term vision of the club’s bosses and fully understands that by then, he might not even be in Manchester. Fans, however, were not convinced. Here are just a few of their social media comments:

• "Amorim must have meant the Championship. But they still have to qualify for that."
• "And I dream of a date with Margot Robbie. Sometimes, it's better to stay silent."
• "Hmm, turns out Ten Hag was actually the more reasonable one."
• "Rúben, how about we beat Crystal Palace first?"
• "This is insane. United is having its worst season ever, and he’s talking about the title."

In reality, Amorim’s reasoning is understandable. This is likely an attempt to shift the squad’s and the club’s drastically weakened mentality. However, the timing seems off. It could even backfire — additional pressure on an already demoralized squad might push them over the edge.

Published by Patrick Jane
04.03.2025