Ruben Amorim gives update on quit threat as Man Utd boss says ‘I cannot see the team having these results…’
RUBEN AMORIM has no intention of quitting Manchester United — but knows the pressure will ramp up if he fails to win the Europa League.
The Portuguese boss confirmed he paid for 30 of his staff to take their families to Wednesday’s all-English final showdown with Tottenham in Spain.
Amorim stunned supporters after Sunday’s defeat to West Ham when he admitted he will have to be replaced if he cannot turn United around at the start of next season.
Amorim, who has won only six out of 25 Prem matches in charge, said: “Since I arrived here I am always talking about the standards.
“I cannot see the team having these results — especially in the Premier League — and not say anything and not take the responsibility.
“It’s just that. I have a clear idea what to do. I understand the problems of the team and I am far from quitting.
“What I am saying is we need to perform this season and in the future or else they will change us.
“That is a normal thing. That was my feeling after West Ham and is still my feeling today.”
Amorim has tried to play down the importance of the Bilbao showdown.
But he accepts losing to Tottenham, who last won silverware in 2008, would crank up the pressure.
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He added: “For sure, if we don’t win, that is clear . . . but I am not concerned about that.
“It’s going to be really bad. I don’t want to use that as an excuse, it’s going to be really tough.”
Amorim’s move to pay for tickets out of his own pocket — after the club said they would not fund them — was an attempt to boost morale following a difficult time at Old Trafford.
With up to 450 redundancies announced as part of co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting measures, staff fear more cuts will follow should United fail to beat Spurs.
Amorim explained his decision to pay for the tickets and said: “In this moment for our club sometimes it is hard when to give, when to take, to respect the people that are losing their jobs.
“It is complicated for the club to start giving to other members of staff so it is a really hard position.
“That situation was explained so my reaction was to help. It is not going to change my life.
“So I wanted to help the staff be there and comfortable and be a better staff for the final.
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“Then they talk to the players and the players have the same reaction.
“Everybody wants their families there, the staff there but it’s hard to manage things in our club. So it’s a simple thing.”
Amorim confirmed Leny Yoro, Matthijs De Ligt and Diogo Dalot will not feature on Friday’s Prem clash at Chelsea in the hope they can be fit for the Europa League final.
The United boss said: “I don’t know if they are going to be available.
“We are going to try and push because it is a final and all the players want to play in that.
“They will not go to Chelsea but there is a possibility we will get some of them back.”