Ruben Amorim has issued a frank admission that he may not remain in charge of Manchester United beyond this season if the club’s alarming Premier League slump extends into the next campaign, declaring that “we need to be brave” and “give space to different people” if fundamental changes aren’t made.
United’s 2-0 home defeat to West Ham on Sunday marked yet another dismal chapter in what has become one of the club’s worst-ever seasons, leaving them in 16th place with just 39 points — only four clear of relegated Leicester.
With 17 league losses this term, United are enduring their most defeats in a top-flight season since their infamous relegation in 1973-74. The loss was compounded by West Ham ending a 17-year wait for a Premier League victory at Old Trafford.
For Amorim, who took over from Erik ten Hag last summer in a high-profile move from Sporting Lisbon, the problems at United are deeply rooted — well beyond tactics or even personnel. In a series of damning comments, the Portuguese manager laid bare the cultural and psychological malaise gripping the club.
“We are losing the feeling that we are a massive club,” Amorim warned. “If we are not scared of losing a game at home, it is the most dangerous thing a big club can have.”
Amorim was visibly despondent following the loss to a West Ham side that hadn’t won any of their previous eight games. Despite creating better chances — United finished with a higher expected goals tally of 2.28 to West Ham’s 1.56 — the Red Devils failed to convert their pressure into goals, while another defensively frail performance handed the Hammers two clinical finishes.
Crisis Deepens On and Off the Pitch
United have now gone seven Premier League matches without a win — their joint-longest such run in the competition, matching a stretch from the early Premier League years in 1992. They have also lost nine home league matches, tying a record low only previously reached in 1930-31, 1933-34, and 1962-63.
With fans increasingly disillusioned, Amorim suggested that the club’s leadership — from management to players — needs to take a hard look in the mirror.
“Everybody here has to think seriously about a lot of things,” he said. “I’m talking about myself and the culture in the club and the culture in the team. We need to change that.”
Amorim called the situation “a decisive moment in the history of the club” and said that unless there is a meaningful cultural reset over the summer, United risk continuing their descent into mediocrity.
“If the feeling is still here, we should give the space to different people,” he added.
The importance of winning the Europa League final on May 21 in Bilbao against Tottenham — which would guarantee Champions League qualification — is undeniable in financial terms. An estimated £100 million could flow into the club even with a short campaign in Europe’s top tournament.
Yet Amorim appeared to downplay the significance of the final in the context of United’s broader issues.
“The final is by far the smallest problem in our club,” he said. “We need to change something that is deeper than this. Playing in the Premier League and Champions League for us is the moon. We need to know that.”
Questions of Mentality and Urgency
One of Amorim’s central criticisms of his players was their apparent inconsistency in motivation and urgency — a charge that has haunted previous squads under José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Ralf Rangnick.
“In the Europa League, we don’t play quite well but we have a little bit of that urgency in having to win games,” he explained. “We are so focused. In these Premier League games, sometimes we are not. There is a lack of urgency in everything we do. It’s a big concern.”
He said the team does not defend its penalty box with the desperation required at this level, nor does it attack with sufficient intensity. He warned that the sense of apathy within the squad was “eating away” at what used to be considered United’s ‘big club mentality.’
“We need to be more aggressive and feel that it is the end of the world when we are not winning a game,” he added.
Ownership Under Pressure
Amorim’s comments will not have gone unnoticed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family, who are wrestling with financial losses of more than £370 million over the past five years. The club’s latest round of redundancies, as well as cutbacks on staff travel and perks, indicate a tightening of the belt behind the scenes.
Securing Champions League football next season remains a commercial necessity. But Amorim suggested that without radical internal change, playing in Europe’s elite competition might actually paper over the cracks.
“I don’t know what is best — if it’s playing in the Champions League or not,” he said candidly.
Calls for Positivity Amid Crisis
Despite his honesty, Amorim’s tone has drawn criticism from some quarters. Former Liverpool and England midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC’s Match of the Day that the United manager’s relentless negativity could be counterproductive.
“I get confused with some of Amorim’s interviews,” Murphy said. “I would like to hear more solution-based answers. Leaders looking forward help players, rather than constant negativity.”
Murphy added that with a European final looming and a summer transfer window ahead, Amorim had an opportunity to build and shape his own team — if he stays on.
The Road Ahead
Whether Ruben Amorim remains in the dugout next season may depend on more than just the outcome in Bilbao. It is clear that a summer of difficult decisions lies ahead for Manchester United’s board, coaching staff, and players.
While Amorim has not ruled out continuing in the role, he made clear that any future must be built on a new foundation.
“We need to be really strong in the summer and brave,” he said. “We will not have another season like this.”
Manchester United, a club synonymous with glory and resilience, stands at a crossroads. For Ruben Amorim, the question is not just whether he can lead them back — but whether anyone can without a complete transformation.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
