Manchester United manager Rúben Amorim has revealed that the club’s first team will have to rely on its academy for a rebuild.
This comes after they were defeated in the final of the UEFA Europa League on Wednesday night by Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who claimed a narrow 1-0 victory in Bilbao, Spain.
When asked about the future following the defeat, which means United will not play in the UEFA Champions League next season, Amorim admitted that it will be difficult to attract top players to the club after such a disappointing campaign. He shared his thoughts in an interview with Manchester United media.
“It’s hard to talk about positives today, but we need to take advantage of everything. We are going to suffer because we don’t have the Champions League, and it’s hard on the club. But on the other hand, we will have more time to develop the team, to pay attention to our academy, and to prepare for the future. That is clear. We need to use every minute to improve the team, and we always have plans for the summer.”
Amorim insisted he is the right man for the job, assuring fans that he will not quit or walk away:
“I’m confident that I’m still the guy, even more than at the beginning. I know it’s going to be tough, I know we lost to an English team, I know the patience of the fans will be very short next season. But I guarantee you, I will not quit, I will not go away. I am really confident. I’m more confident now because I know the club, I know what it means to coach this club, and I understand what the team needs, so I have more tools to do my job.”
The Amorim era at Old Trafford, if not the worst in the 21st century, is close to being one of the poorest in the club’s history.
With one game remaining in the Premier League season, Manchester United sit in 16th place with 39 points, just 13 points above relegated Leicester City. They lost their last two league games before the Europa League final, bringing their total to 18 league defeats this campaign.
