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I played for Man United – this is what has surprised me about Ruben Amorim

Manchester United Manager Ruben Amorim during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Manchester United FC at Craven Cottage on January 26, 2025 in London, England
-Credit:CameraSport via Getty Images


Ex-Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has admitted that he has been surprised by Ruben Amorim's no-holds-barred press conferences.

Amorim, 40, has not taken any prisoners in his meetings with the media since his arrival from Sporting CP in November. Within three months, he has called the current crop of United players possibly "the worst in the club's history" and also said he would pick 63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital over Marcus Rashford right now.

At present, United's performances have not been quite as memorable under the Portuguese boss. Yet, Hargreaves admitted he has been impressed by Amorim's demeanour, even if he does believe the United boss often goes too far.

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In an exclusive interview with the Manchester Evening News, while speaking on behalf of TNT Sports to promote watching live sport in pubs, TNT Sports pundit Hargreaves said: "I think he felt they would be further along.

"But there’s been a lot of players and managers who have come over there and found it challenging. I think, eventually, they’ll get it right.

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"I really like him, I think he is an amazing communicator for a guy who is also speaking English as a second language. He tries to communicate, if anything, he is probably being too open. I think that’s a sign of respect on his behalf to be so open. But this league is more demanding than the one he is in and he is learning quickly.

"But, United, as brilliant of a club as it is, one of the biggest clubs in the world, there are a lot of issues there, on and off the pitch. They will need to sort that out if they can.

Ruben Amorim, Head Coach of Manchester United, speaks to Marcus Rashford of Manchester United as he prepares to enter the pitch as a substitute during the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Manchester United and FK Bodo/Glimt at Old Trafford on November 28, 2024 in Manchester, England
Rashford has played little football under Amorim -Credit:Getty Images

"The stadium, the training ground, the squad, the recruitment, playing a new style, there are a lot of adjustments to be made. He’s making them on the fly and trying to compete, while also trying to be open with the press. He’s learning a lot, but it will take time."

United secured a hard fought 1-0 away victory over Fulham in their last Premier League match to move up to 12th in the table. Yet, with Rashford still not getting a look-in at Old Trafford, the focus was on Amorim's comments.

TNT Pubs & Clubs UCL event at the Greenwood Sports Pub, Victoria, London, United Kingdom on the 24th January 2025
Hargreaves is a pundit for TNT Sports -Credit:Leigh Dawney/C1 Media

He claimed Rashford's performances and effort levels have not met his expectations. Amorim explained: "It's always the same reason: the training, the way I see a footballer should do in life. It's every day, every detail. If things don't change, I will not change. It's the same situation for every player, if you do the maximum and right things we can use every player.

"You can see on the bench we miss a bit of pace on the bench. But I would put [Man Utd goalkeeper coach Jorge] Vital before a player who doesn't give the maximum every day."

Owen Hargreaves was speaking on behalf of TNT Sports about enjoying UEFA Champions League midweek football in your local pub. To find out where you can watch visit https://www.tntsports.co.uk/pubfinder/ or to find out more about a TNT Sports commercial subscription, go to https://www.tntsportsbusiness.co.uk/