Liam Duckstein
Ratcliffe told The Times last week that it might take Amorim three years to make a significant impact at Old Trafford. The comment arrived amid mounting questions over the coach after a run of poor results and helped ease some short-term pressure on the dressing room.
Speaking before the club’s 100th meeting with Liverpool at Anfield, Amorim said the backing was welcome but insisted the only certainty is the next match.
“It is really good to hear it but he tells me all the time, sometimes with a message after games – but you know, I know and Jim knows, that football is not like that,”
He added:
“The most important thing is the next game. Even with owners, you cannot control the next day in football.”
United chief executive Omar Berrada has conceded Amorim’s adaptation to the Premier League since his move from Sporting last November has taken longer than expected. Under the 40-year-old, United have won 10 of 34 Premier League matches. They have yet to win consecutive league games this season and have not finished a round of fixtures higher than ninth.
- Joined: November (from Sporting)
- Premier League record: 10 wins in 34 matches
- Age: 40
The results have frayed patience among supporters, especially ahead of a fixture run in which United have struggled for the past two seasons. Amorim said he does not sense the same doubt inside the club’s Carrington training ground.
“It’s not just a thing that people talk about, I feel it every day,” he said. “It’s really good to hear it because it helps our fans to understand the leadership know it is going to take a while.
“But at the same moment, I don’t like it because it gives a feeling that we have time to work things out. I don’t want that feeling in our club.
“The pressure I put on the team or on myself is so much bigger [than that from outside]. In football, especially in big clubs, you need to prove yourself every weekend.”
Amorim made clear he values Ratcliffe’s support but does not want comfort to turn into complacency inside the squad. For now the focus remains simple: win the next game.