MANCHESTER UNITED co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has issued his verdict on head coach Ruben Amorim amid the club’s poor run of form.
The Red Devils currently sit 14th in the Premier League table with just 34 points from 28 games.
Since Amorim arrived four months ago they have managed just 11 wins in 26 outings.
However, United chief Ratcliffe insists he is still the right man for the job – despite the rocky start.
The British billionaire told the Times: “I think he’s done a great job in the circumstances, frankly, with the squad that he’s had available. The fact he came in mid-season.
“Everybody expects miracles overnight. It’s not the way, not real life in my view. I mean, you saw the performance yesterday [Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal].
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“It was, I thought, a really impressive performance. They could not have worked harder. They couldn’t have been more committed.
“And if you looked at the names on the bench, there weren’t many you recognised, were there? Half the squad’s missing for Ruben.
“If you look at the top eight players in terms of salaries in Manchester United, 50 per cent of those are not available to Ruben.
“You’ve got Mason Mount, you’ve got Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford has gone, and Jadon Sancho. And he’s got a bunch of other injuries as you know, so I think he’s done a fantastic job.
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“I think coaches are emotional and Ruben’s no exception to that. And he’s a young coach. And he’s not perfect. You know, he’s not a guy who… he’s got to be good on the stage, but we want him to be good on the grass. And part of that is life on the stage, isn’t it?
“You know, you’re a young guy, you’ve come into the Premier League for the first time in your life, you’ve come in mid-season, it’s not your natural language.
“You have to give the guy a bit of a break. I mean, give me a hard time, I have no problem with that. But give Ruben a break. I think he’s a good guy, he’s working hard and I think he’s doing a great job.”
Asked if he thinks Amorim is the man to lead Man Utd back to glory, Ratcliffe concluded: “Yeah I do, honestly.
“I really, really like Ruben. He’s a very thoughtful guy. Every time I go to the training ground, I speak to Ruben.
“I sit down and have a cup of coffee with him and tell him where it’s going wrong, and he tells me to f*** off. I like him.”
Ratcliffe also took part in a chat with the BBC where he admitted that some United players are “overpaid” and he defended his controversial cost-cutting tactics.
Man Utd ratings vs Arsenal as De Ligt shows exactly why Red Devils signed him but Zirkzee is as frustrating as ever
IT was a performance that would have pleased Ruben Amorim but a 1-1 draw with Arsenal does little to paper over the cracks at Manchester United.
On a day when the Old Trafford crowd protested the owners, the players stood up to show their remains life in a club that fans say is experiencing a “slow death”.
There was a lack of clear-cut chances in the opening 45 minutes as both sides goalscoring troubles continued.
A moment of magic was needed and Fernandes stepped up as he so often does.
Arsenal’s wall was full of man mountains, but Fernandes found the power, dip and accuracy to beat David Raya with his free-kick – even if the wall was marched 11.2 yards back instead of the regulated ten.
Mikel Arteta’s side came out swinging in the second-half with their makeshift No9 up top, and it took a brilliant effort from Declan Rice to level the scores.
United were able to frustrate them and remain a threat on the counter but eventually had to settle for a point in a much-improved performance.
Here is how SunSport’s Martin Blackburn rated the United performances.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
