Rúben Amorim admitted that his emotions got the better of him following Manchester United’s shock defeat to Grimsby Town but insisted he is focused on leading the team against Burnley.
After the penalty shootout loss to the League Two side, Amorim said “something has to change” and praised his players for expressing themselves strongly during the match at Blundell Park. The result has added pressure on the Portuguese coach ahead of Burnley’s visit to Old Trafford on Saturday.
“I need to improve on that. It’s going to be hard. But now I’m good with the next one,” Amorim said.
The 40-year-old was smiling as he entered his pre-match news conference at Carrington on Friday, explaining that his frustration had boiled over after the defeat.
“Guys, to be really honest with you, every time that we have—or will have—a defeat like that, I’m going to react like that,” he said.
“I’m going to say that sometimes I hate my players. Sometimes I love my players. Sometimes I want to defend my players. This is my way of doing things, and I’m going to be like that. At that moment, I was so frustrated and annoyed.”
Amorim has faced a series of challenges since taking over from Erik ten Hag in November. The Grimsby defeat marked another low point, and he admitted that in the heat of the moment, he sometimes contemplates walking away.
“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.
“After losing to Grimsby, I was really upset and disappointed because we had a very good preseason, we were playing better, and we were being consistent in the way we played. We played badly for 30 minutes against Fulham, and then that kind of performance against Grimsby—I was really disappointed with everything. But now it’s a new game, and I’m focused on the next one.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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