Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was derided as a "face of regret" by the crowd as he watched his side lose at Stamford Bridge on Friday. According to British media, the 72-year-old is willing to support coach Ruben Amorim in his rebuild, but he hopes that the 40-year-old Portuguese will definitely stay.
After a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, United set two more humiliating records. Firstly, the team's winless streak in the league has reached eight, the first of its kind in the Premier League era. In addition, the Red Devils have confirmed that they will not be able to achieve back-to-back Premier League wins this season for the first time ever.
United have won just 10 of their 37 Premier League games, well below the lowest 2021/22 season in the past, when they also won 16 games. If they lose to Aston Villa in the final round of the season, Manchester United will hit another new low, which means losing half of the league games!
After his recent defeat to West Ham United, Amorim has publicly stated that he could step down to give the space to different people if the team doesn't make progress next season. The announcement worried the United owner, who feared that Amorim would resign because he felt the task of rebuilding the Reds was too daunting. If that happens, the players the club brought in for him could be in vain, like Ten Hag at the start of the season.
According to The Sun, Rajue believes Amorim has a similar personality to himself, the maverick nature that has led him to build INEOS into a global petrochemical giant and a billionaire himself. But he wants the Portuguese boss to commit to at least the remaining two years of his contract, rather than leaving halfway through.
There are fears that even if United beat Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday to win the Europa League, Amorim could opt for a rush to retreat. The Red Devils boss has said a number of frustrating things lately, such as his Manchester United being the worst in Premier League history, his current squad not ready for Champions League play and his players already having an indifferent mentality about losing.
Ragjue is willing to give him a bigger say by allowing Amorim to discuss with himself, chief executive Omar Berarda and technical director Jason Wilcox who will leave and who will stay and what new players to bring in, but they will only do so if the manager is committed to a long-term stay. Otherwise, the club's hierarchy may face the embarrassment of spending a lot of money to buy a coach and having to find a third new manager within a year.
Manchester United legend Roy Keane angrily scolded his former club for believing the Red Devils had lost their dignity. 'The Manchester United fans at Stamford Bridge, I think they're no longer angry, they've accepted [the bad reality]. Even the head coach (Amorim) accepted the status quo in an interview. You do need to be realistic, but still hold back emotions and anger. Fans may feel that this is not unexpected when they return to Manchester. No one thinks Manchester United will win, including the manager and the players. The Chelsea boss also said in a condescending tone: 'Manchester United played very well and put pressure on us.' Come on, United only had one shot on target. Chelsea should pat their opponents on the head and say: 'Go back to Manchester City, just like Manchester United used to be.'
On the pitch, only a handful of United players showed fighting spirit, with captain Bruno Fernandes and centre-back Harry Maguire lashing out at Garnacho, who had just come off the bench after conceding a goal, who allowed Reece James to break through with ease and provide the assist for a cross. This spirit of reluctance to admit defeat comforted Amorim. "It's a good thing and a positive sign that the players fight after conceding a goal." "We've struggled this season, but we can't do nothing. We have to start now, prepare for the finals, prepare for next season."
Amorim denied that starting the game against Chelsea was the main squad for the Europa League final: 'We collect information, but the opponents are different, the environment is different, sometimes the starting and sub situations are different. So, I got some information from this game, but I don't know who will start in the final."