CHICAGO — Ruben Amorim is plotting Manchester United‘s resurgence. At the club’s summer base, the Chicago Fire‘s training facility, the Portuguese coach is attempting to put the pieces in place to recover from United’s worst campaign for more than 50 years — their 15th-place finish in the Premier League last season was the lowest since relegation to the second tier in 1974.
In response, Amorim has sanctioned the £128.5 million arrival of forwards Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, as well as taking steps to improve the environment at Old Trafford.
In a wide-ranging interview with reporters at the Endeavor Health Performance Center in Chicago, the United head coach spoke to ESPN about the difficult start to his reign and the doubts he felt before games at times last season. He touched on the pressure of managing United, his plans for the future and why he’s convinced success is coming back.
Amorim also spoke about his no-nonsense relationship with United’s minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his drive to improve the culture — including the decision to omit young winger Alejandro Garnacho from the squad for the preseason tour.
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Q: The players have said this has been a very positive tour and they’ve talked a lot about the change of culture that they feel is happening. When you arrived at United, what was the culture like and what have you done to try and change it?
A: First of all, I think it’s one thing that is all about the club. It’s not one person that arrives and says we need to change everything. [CEO] Omar [Berrada] and [director of football] Jason [Wilcox], they were aligned about everything we need to change. Of course, the manager is an important piece. Because if the manager doesn’t want [it], it’s really hard. But I feel that we are more organized nowadays. I think everybody knows their places.
You know that this is my job; everyone knows that. And that looks like a small thing, but it’s a big thing. I think we improved in even the medical department, the nutrition. We are so much better. What we eat, the way we behave on tour, on the pitch. The rules. I think everything is important. I know that [the players] are not kids and I don’t treat the players like kids. But I think these small rules can help a group to be strong.
Q: Do you feel like you’ve been given the authority to make the changes you want?
A: I don’t know, but I think all the managers that come here can change things and can dictate some things around the team. I think that is clear. But the manager cannot do that by himself. Because I cannot change, I cannot contract people. There are some things that I don’t know. So I need to have top people around me to help me to change the culture. So I think it’s not the question of if I have the authority. It’s my job. [The club] want that. But it’s bigger than that. I need all the club [pulling] in the same direction.
Q: Last season was so tough, was there ever a point during that when you thought I don’t know if I can change this?
A: It’s not that feeling. But there was mostly a feeling that I’m disappointing all these people. That was the feeling that made me think, ‘What should I do?’ There were some moments last year that were really hard on me. Not because … I know what to do to change the club … but I’m disappointing all these people. And I know that in football, when you lose so many games, it’s hard on everybody to believe in one idea and all the changes. So, there were some moments last year that I was really, really frustrated.
Q: When it got really tough last season, how did you feel when you were going home after another defeat and more problems and more negativity?
A: To tell you the truth, it’s not how I returned to my house after the games. [It was] how I left to go to the games. Because I felt that sometimes we will struggle. All the struggles that we had in the games, I feel it before the games. So that is the hardest part. To go to the games and know that we are not going to be competitive, how we should be. That is the hardest part. When I returned, I just looked to my family and tried to think in different things, but I was really frustrated.
Q: Is that feeling gone now?
A: Nowadays I’m better; I’m more excited. I think also I learned a lot … small things. How to build up. How to sometimes not be so romantic. All these things are gone now. I think we will be a better team. Not just because I truly believe that we can be better. But I truly believe that I will be better managing the season.
Q: You went on a postseason tour to Malaysia and Hong Kong. Was that the end of last season or was that the start of a new beginning?
A: I think it was more the end. I think if you look to everybody, everyone was really tired; everyone was really frustrated. I was really happy for the end of the season. I think we start the new season when we catch the plane to return to Manchester.
0:45
Amorim: There are players who don’t want to be at Man United
Man United boss Ruben Amorim says the players seeking a move away from Manchester United want “a new challenge.”
Q: I know you want to speak about the players who are here, but the players who aren’t here obviously generate a lot of headlines. Marcus Rashford has gone to Barcelona [on loan]; you still have four players there that you didn’t bring on tour: Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia. You mentioned that they may come back into the squad but most people don’t think they will. What do they do? What do you do? How does that interaction work?
A: We just need to follow the markets. There are players that clearly show that they don’t want to be here and that is normal. They are not bad and I’m good; I’m not the bad and they are good … it’s not that situation. It’s a simple situation that they want new challenges. So we will try to use this space to prepare the team that I think is going to be here. If the market closes and then they are Manchester United players, we as a club have to treat them in the same conditions. But in this moment I’m just working with the players that I think is going to stay and the other guys are trying to find a solution for their careers.
Q: On Garnacho, you were quite supportive of him at times last season. Do you feel it’s a pity it’s not worked out?
A: I think Garnacho, you can understand and you can see, he’s talented. He’s a really talented boy. And sometimes things don’t work out. You cannot explain specifically what it is. But I have the feeling, I think it’s clear that Garnacho wants a different thing with a different leadership. And I can understand that. So I think it’s not a problem. Sometimes you adapt to one guy, you have the connection. Other times, you want a new challenge. So, we try to make everything OK to all the parts; to the club, to the coach and to the players. So, it’s a natural thing in football.
Q: You’ve said that you don’t necessarily need new players to have a new team. I think some fans will think that results were so poor last season that you need a load of new players, but you obviously don’t feel like that?
A: Yeah. I think everyone can look at the player and say, he can play better. I have that feeling. And I think it’s more, I say that so many times, it’s a team thing. It’s more like all the culture, the pace, the intensity, all these things. It’s to understand the way we want to play. Last year was tough to do that with so many games and so many problems. That is the truth. We are in a better place, but we are just beginning. Because even the pressure of the game is going to be different.
We are playing well [in preseason]; you can feel more freedom in the players. But then, when it starts, the Premier League is going to be different. We will be ready for that. But I truly believe that there are a lot of players who can do better. And I can do better.
Q: There’s no European football this season. Is this squad the right size or have you still got too many players or is this what you will work with?
A: I think we have a good size. Of course, we have young kids that are not going to be 100 percent of the time with us. Something can happen but for someone to come to our team we need to do all that work that we did with Bryan and Cunha. We need to be really careful to assess the character of the way [new signings] play; try to imagine if they play abroad, try to imagine them physically, technically playing in our club. But I’m really happy with the team and without European competitions I want a small squad so everyone feels really important.
If you have a lot of players you have one week to prepare and a lot of players are going to be out and then in training they will be frustrated and then the training will drop in quality. So I want a small group. I think we need to improve the academy. We need to use all the academy players to put in these positions to have space to train in the first team.
Q: How are you feeling about the new season?
A: Confident. When I see team training and team playing, my humor — you call it humor — it goes with the team. If I feel that everything is aligned, I feel more excited. If I feel more excited, I see more video, I see more football, I have more ideas. So, I’m really confident in this moment.
Q: What’s the target for next season? Some of the players have said the key target after finishing 15th is to get back into Europe?
A: I know that it is a massive gap between where we finish [15th] and Europe. But it’s Manchester United; we need to return to Europe.
2:47
Man United ‘have money’ despite no Champions League football
Man United manager Ruben Amorim is putting “strategies” in place to ensure Man United have money for the future.
Q: You made a couple of big signings this summer. I know your focus is only on Manchester United and what you do, but do you look at Liverpool, who made significant signings, and Manchester City, who have done a similar thing, and get concerned that the gap is only just going to increase?
A: I think if we were in a different moment, I would be more concerned about that. We have such big issues here that I’m so excited to change all these things that I’m not thinking in that way. If we had maybe a better season, we are looking at less problems, I would look at the opponents and say ‘I’m just focused on what we need to improve here.’ I’m really happy with the players that we bring in. They proved [themselves] in the Premier League, so I’m not concerned about the physical aspect. … I’m really happy with the character. And I think it’s a good thing.”
Q: You said you’re happy with the squad and how it’s shaping up, but would you also want to strengthen other areas? You’ve been linked with strikers and goalkeepers.
A: To hope is a strong word. We are always looking to improve the team. And we have some characteristics that we would like to have. But again, it depends on the market. It depends on the exits. We’ll see. But I’m really happy. And I think even when you talk about André [Onana], you can see the goalkeepers, even Tom [Heaton] is leaner, he’s a different goalkeeper. Altay [Bayindir] did really well and Onana is going to be better like the other guys that are getting better this year.
Q: How confident are you that if there are more challenges this season, that the owners, the board will keep faith with you and back you?
A: I always felt that. In some moments last season, I was more concerned about me than them. They always show the support. And if you try to remember one team — one big team, massive team — that lost so many games and the manager kept their job, you will not find it. So that shows more than words that they support me.
I think it’s really important to say to the fans that this is a club thing. Of course, the manager is really important, but all this idea of the culture, how we want to sign players, what kind of players we want, is a club thing. In the meetings with Bryan, with Cunha, we said that. Don’t go to a club because of the manager. Go because of the idea of the club. And they are here because of the idea of the club.
Q: On Sir Jim Ratcliffe, he has spoken very positively about you. What’s your relationship with him like?
A: We speak on the phone, he sends me messages, he sends me GIFs. You call it GIFs? Joking. So we have this kind of relationship. I think it’s really easy to deal with Jim. Easy in the sense that if you know your stuff, if you know how to explain any decision, you’ll be fine with him. If you try to use some b——t in big words with him, he’s going to knock you.
So for me it’s really easy. I will say whatever I need to say with, of course, a lot of respect, like with everybody, I know that he’s the [minority] owner of the club, I know my place. But when I need to say something, I will say it naturally. With no bulls—, I can say that, I’m not around the subject; I’m really direct. I think it’s something that he likes a lot.
Q: Despite all the problems last season, you seem as clear in your own mind about your ideas as ever?
A: Not because I believe, but I changed so many things during my short career as a manager. When I see a different thing that works, I will use it. I copy so many things about other managers, the way they play, warmups … I stole warmups. So I’m not so stubborn, but I truly believe that to be a really strong team, we need to have a base. When the base is OK, we will start doing different things. I truly believe in that, it’s a process.
Q: Finally, it maybe feels like a long way off, but do you think this club could still be Premier League, Champions League winners? Do you feel like everything is here for that to happen in the future?
A: I have no doubts, because there are some things that you cannot buy. And this club has the pedigree, the history, the fans. We have that. I think that is clear. Then the money. We have money. We have money without the Champions League. So we’ll have money and more money in the future. And we are doing everything. You talk with Omar and all these guys, they are making all the strategy to have more money in the future. So that will not be a problem. And then I think it’s clearly the culture. If we have a different culture, with all that, with all the pedigree, the money, all these things, we can return to our place. And that is clear.
