Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group took control of football operations after he bought a 27.7% stake in United in February 2024.
Since Amorim’s arrival, United have spent about £250m on new signings and while Ronaldo says they have “good players”, he feels that some of them “don’t have in mind what Manchester United is”.
“Manchester United is still in my heart,” added the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who won seven major honours with the club between 2003 and 2009.
“I love that club. But we have all to be honest and look for ourselves and say, ‘listen, they are not in a good path’.
“So, they need to change and it’s not only about the coach and players, in my opinion.”
Ronaldo’s contract at Old Trafford was terminated after an interview with Morgan in November 2022, in which he said he felt “betrayed” by United and that he was being forced out.
Asked by Morgan when he might retire, Ronaldo replied: “Soon. But I think I will be prepared.
“It will be tough, of course. But Piers, I prepare my future since [the age of] 25, 26, 27 years old. So I think I will be capable to support that pressure.”
Had Amorim’s one-year anniversary been marked on 1 October, judgement would have been almost exclusively negative.
At that point, only Tottenham of the 17 teams who remained in the Premier League throughout his tenure had fewer points than United’s 34 from 33 games. After three successive victories, Wolves and West Ham are also behind them now.
On Thursday, for the first time, Amorim was shortlisted for manager of the month. In his news conference he was asked about the possibility of Champions League qualification.
If they win at the City Ground, United will go second.
Even if it is only for a matter of hours, it will be the first time they have been that high, mid-season, since a victory at West Ham in September 2021, immediately before Solskjaer’s world unravelled.
Amorim warned of reading too much into his side’s current form. But three successive wins coupled with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ‘three-year’ comments, means a chronical of his first year does not read like an epitaph.
A month ago, the private stinging rebuke of one critic close to the dressing room was that Amorim’s enthralling news conferences were all he was good at.
Yet, while box office in their delivery, it is the part of the job he likes the least. He is emotional, which shows itself after games. But apart from solemn moments, when he speaks on behalf of the club on matters of importance, his words are not rehearsed.
His jovial nature is at odds with his intense and serious persona on the training ground – and his rather detached presence at times.
Last season, when media were allowed to observe the first 15 minutes of training before European games, it was noticeable that Amorim watched the routine sprints and rondos on his own, from a different pitch, sometimes 50 yards away.
This, it is explained, is partly because he has no role to play but also because he is using the time to think about the messaging he will deliver in the main session.
Filmed footage of his first training session last November shows Amorim telling midfielder Kobbie Mainoo exactly how many strides he needed to move after laying a pass off, then where to open his body out to create maximum passing angles.
This summer, sources said there were points where he had two players taking up the same positions in training, before running through different scenarios to ensure they moved into the right area of the pitch.
While this may seem peculiar it does make sense given Amorim knows which players fit into which slots in his team.
That first recorded session also showed Amorim working on speed in transition, especially defensive turnovers.
Finally, with gaps between games allowing full preparation weeks, this reinforced messaging is paying off. Awful days at Grimsby and Brentford are outliers rather than the norm.
United officials say now, as they have done consistently throughout the past 12 months, there has never been an internal conversation about Amorim’s future. The club’s hierarchy, from Ratcliffe down, is supportive. The aim for the season remains European qualification.
But have there been times when Amorim himself wondered if he would get this far?
“It’s hard to say,” he said. “There were some moments that were tough to deal with, to lose so many games, was so hard for me because this is Manchester United.
“Putting all the attention on Europa League and not winning, was massive.
“So, I had some moments that I struggled a lot, and was thinking maybe it’s not meant to be. Today is the opposite. Today I feel – and know – it was the best decision in my life, and I want to be here.”
But he wouldn’t listen and in the end the manager felt the Argentine youngster was bringing a negative vibe to the dressing room.
And his regular outbursts on social media – as well as the mainstream media – also riled the former Sporting Lisbon coach.
Amorim was looking forward to working with the winger when he took over in November but that all changed after his conduct in Plzen in December.
The coach also tired of Garnacho’s moodiness and temper tantrums when things were not going his way.
So in the end a parting of the ways became inevitable and sources close to Amorim say he has not regretted his stance once.
Could that change if the Carrington graduate inspires a Chelsea win at the Theatre of Dreams this weekend though?
Battle to keep ‘Kid Messi’
UNITED starlet JJ Gabriel continues to catch the eye with his performances both within the club’s academy and further afield.
A host of German clubs are understood to have made their interest in him clear should he and his family wish to follow in the footsteps of Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho by leaving England to further his career in the Bundesliga.
The 14-year-old, who recently enjoyed a holiday in Barcelona, is contracted with United until the end of next season, and has produced a string of impressive performances after being promoted to the U18s.
A source said: “The success of the likes of Bellingham and Sancho in Germany is a big selling point for German clubs trying to poach some of the Premier League’s best young talents.
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JJ Gabriel has drawn interest from GermanyCredit: Getty
“They can offer them first team football at an earlier age than a lot of clubs in the UK.”
United remain convinced they gave JJ and his family compelling reasons why Carrington remains the best place for him to continue his development.
The teenager has met with manager Amorim and could well spend time training with the first team squad this season.
His development is being closely monitored by United U18s boss Darren Fletcher.
Under the knife
SPEAKING of Fletcher, his success as U18s academy boss has been noted with four wins out of four so far this season.
It’s all the more impressive given the former midfielder injured himself during a United v Celtic legends game earlier this month raised money for both clubs’ foundations.
Fletcher opened the scoring in the game which ended 2-2 before Celtic clinched victory on penalties.
Fletcher, 41, underwent an operation on his knee this week as a result, but refused to take time off and has been on the sidelines for each game.
A source said: “He’s Scottish. He’s made of tough stuff.”
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Darren Fletcher had surgery after damaging his knee during the United Legends game at Celtic ParkCredit: Kenny Ramsay
Denis Irwin’s sweet return
UNITED fans are invited to engage with three organisations doing big work to improve men’s mental health at Old Trafford this Saturday.
Representatives from ‘Andy’s Man Club’ will be stationed within the Pop-Up Pub by the Stretford End, inviting supporters to learn more about the suicide prevention charity.
The group offers free peer-to-peer support groups across the UK and online, as part of their mission to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health through the power of conversation.
Fans with tickets to the game can enjoy live music, fast pours, local food and a Q&A with club legends Denis Irwin and Gary Pallister.
Salford-based charity ‘Talk About It Mate’ will also have a space in the East Stand forecourt from 2pm before kick-off.
CHIDO Obi enjoyed a meteoric rise last season, signing for United from Arsenal and quickly making his first team debut under Amorim.
The 17-year-old went on to make seven first team appearances but has found himself back down the pecking order after United splashed out £74m on Slovenian target man Benjamin Sesko.
And while Danish international Chido hasn’t been on the bench for any first team games this season, his development – in both size and skill – are continuing at the academy.
A source said: “Chido is still sometimes involved in first team training now but the noticeable development for him is his size.
“He is a tall boy but has started to put on some significant muscle on his frame, which he needs.”
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Chido Obi is continuing to develop in the academyCredit: Getty
Chido is working under the guidance of United’s sharpest academy coaches who regularly provide updates to Amorim.
United’s U21 boss Travis Binnion said earlier this season: “We have not even scraped the top of the iceberg with him yet. There is loads to come.
“He is dying to be a footballer. He is hungry. He is learning the game. He is learning how to project himself and how to play in a team.
“For us, he is a priority. He is 17. He needs to understand this is a golden period to develop his game.”
Hitman tribute
RICKY HATTON may have been a Blue, but United’s players, staff and fans were equally as devastated by news of his passing before Sunday’s derby.
Many of the first team had met the boxer at big fights and were admirers of his hugely successful career, which delighted fans from both sides of Manchester.
The club intends to mark his tragic passing in the programme for the clash against Chelsea.
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Ricky Hatton was found dead in his Manchester home last Sunday
With Chelsea visiting Old Trafford on Saturday, a trip to Brentford – where United have conceded four times on each of their last two visits – and encounters with Sunderland and then Liverpool at Anfield follow, making the chances of a significant upturn in fortunes in the short-term unlikely.
Scholes is not alone in believing United have no chance of reversing their fortunes unless Amorim changes his style, with all-time leading scorer Wayne Rooney believing his old side have “got worse” under the Portuguese, who replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag last November.
“He cannot carry on playing this way, he just can’t,” said Scholes, who won 11 Premier League titles and the Champions League twice in a 20-year career with the club.
“At some point there has to be a moment where he thinks, ‘I have to change something because what I am doing now is not working and I am not getting results’. The proof is there.
“I like Amorim, with everything he says, he seems to be a likeable man. But unfortunately results paint a picture.
“At this moment in time it isn’t good enough. At this moment in time if results don’t improve, performances don’t really matter that much. He has to win some games or the pressure is going to come on him massively.”
Following last season’s struggles, where United finished 15th in the league and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham, Amorim worked hard in the summer trying to create a harmonious dressing room culture.
While there are some within the United dressing room who are thought to be uneasy about the 40-year-old’s refusal to change his tactics, there is no sign of widespread discontent as yet.
The optimism around Amorim is not confined to the Old Trafford boardroom.
João Noronha Lopes, favourite to win the Benfica presidential election on 25 October, is thought to be keen on bringing him back to the club where he made his name as a player, making 154 appearances across six seasons.
Lopes was at Etihad Stadium for Sunday’s derby, where he was accompanied by Pedro Ferreira and Nuno Gomes, the former Portugal and Benfica forward, who is one of Amorim’s closest friends.
Speaking to Portuguese media before the group left for Manchester, Gomes spoke about the prospect of hiring him.
“I can’t answer that question,” he said. “Ruben Amorim is the coach of Manchester United.
“But one thing I do know, Ruben Amorim will be the coach of Benfica one day.”
Match Of The Day pundit Danny Murphy believes Manchester United do not have the personnel needed to play Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 system, highlighting the performances of Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw in their 3-0 loss to rivals Manchester City.
MANCHESTER UNITED have agreed a deal to sell Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea.
The Red Devils have sanctioned an exit for the wantaway winger worth £40million.
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Alejandro Garnacho is joining ChelseaCredit: Getty
Garnacho, 21, will join the Blues on a reported seven-year contract after waiting for a move to materialise all summer.
The Argentine had been pushing for an exit after falling down the pecking order under boss Ruben Amorim.
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