Ruben Amorim insisted he was living “day by day” as Manchester United manager as pressure ramps up on his position following the team’s embarrassing midweek exit in the English League Cup at the hands of fourth-tier Grimsby Town.
Amorim criticized his players immediately after Wednesday’s game, saying their performance “spoke for me really loud” before suggesting he’d discuss his future during the two-week international break that comes after Saturday’s Premier League home match against Burnley.
Two days later, Amorim said he was “so frustrated, annoyed” at the time and warned that he would continue to make emotionally fueled outbursts after any bad performance by United.
“I’m going to say sometimes I hate my players, sometimes I love my players, sometimes I want to defend my players,” Amorim said Friday in a news conference he conducted largely with a smile. “This is my way of doing things and I’m going to be like that.”
Amorim acknowledged that he would bring more scrutiny on his position each time he speaks as openly as he did after the Grimsby game, where United fell 2-0 down after 30 minutes, scored two late goals to scramble a 2-2 draw in regulation, then lost a penalty shootout 12-11.
“Sometimes I want to quit, sometimes I want to be here for 20 years, sometimes I love to be with my players, sometimes I don’t want to be with them,” he said. “I need to improve on that. It’s going to be hard.”
Amorim has been outspoken through his turbulent 10-month tenure, notably in January when he said of his team: “We are being the worst, maybe, in the history of Manchester United.”
United went on to finish in 15th place in Premier League last season for its worst top-flight campaign in 51 years.
Under Amorim, United — which has a record-tying 20 English league titles — has collected 28 points from his 29 Premier League games in charge, including just one point from two matches this season: a 1-0 loss at home to Arsenal and 1-1 draw at Fulham.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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