Ruben Amorim sent a clear message to the Manchester United bosses after the draw against Leeds, with Wayne Rooney comparing him to Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp and putting him back in place.
Wayne Rooney has accused Ruben Amorim of exaggerating his importance to Manchester United following his extraordinary tirade after the draw with Leeds. Amorim threw his weight around and made the bombshell in the post-match press conference amid tensions behind the scenes at Old Trafford.
The United manager has previously hinted at disagreements with club executives over plans for the January transfer window. “If we have to play a perfect 3-4-3, we feel we need to spend a lot of money and time,” he said on Christmas Eve. “We’re starting to understand that that’s not going to happen, so we may have to adapt.”
Amorim declined to be asked about the meaning behind his comments ahead of United’s 1-1 draw with Leeds. But when Amorim was asked about his confidence by the board after the match, his true feelings spilled out in a noticeable way.
“I know my name is not[Thomas]Tuchel,[Antonio]Conte or[Jose]Mourinho, but I am the manager of Manchester United,” he rants. “This is going to be the case for 18 months, or until the board decides to make a change. That’s what I was saying. I want to be done with this. I’m not going to quit. I’m going to do my job until someone else comes here to take my place.”
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“I just want to say, I’m not just a coach, I’m going to be the manager of this team. I knew that for sure. It would be 18 months and then everyone would move on. That was the deal. That’s my job, not to be the coach.”
Former United striker Rooney was shocked by Amorim’s comments and warned the Portuguese: “It’s too much.”
Asked what he thought of Amorim’s comments, Rooney told The Wayne Rooney Show: “It’s strange, it’s interesting. I think his choice of words is decisive and confusing. I think he speaks with confidence and authority. I think he knows that he’s going to be there as a manager and continue to be a manager (for the next 18 months).”
“And that’s the only reason I can assume he’s speaking with that belief because the last two games haven’t been very good. It’s very confusing.”
He added: “If this situation continues, I don’t think he will last another 18 months. I think that’s natural. I think he needs to earn the right to decide exactly what happens at a football club, especially a football club like Manchester United.”
“For example, if[Pep]Guardiola came to United, no one would question the system, what kind of players he wants to bring in. I feel a little bit sorry for him[Amorim]because the team is not good enough. The players he has on the bench It’s young academy kids. It’s great to see them on the bench, but are they ready at the moment? It’s very difficult to put young players on the football pitch when the team is not very good. So I feel a little bit for him.
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“But he’s not Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp. He doesn’t have that history or background. So I don’t think he should speak with the authority that he does and I just think the words he’s saying are very confusing to me.”
United are sixth in the Premier League, three points outside the top four, after consecutive 1-1 draws against Wolves and Leeds. They face fellow relegation-threatened Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday night.
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