Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has dismissed suggestions that he has been guaranteed a three-year window to turn the club around, stressing that football offers no such assurances — not even from one day to the next.
The 40-year-old Portuguese tactician was responding to comments made by club co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who told The Times that Amorim could need up to three years to make a measurable impact at Old Trafford. The statement was intended to show patience and confidence in the manager amid growing criticism of United’s inconsistent form.
Speaking ahead of United’s landmark 100th clash with Liverpool at Anfield, Amorim welcomed Ratcliffe’s support but made it clear that he doesn’t believe in long-term guarantees in football’s volatile landscape.
“It is really good to hear it, but he tells me all the time, sometimes with a message after games,” Amorim said.
“But you know, I know, and Jim knows that football is not like that. The most important thing is the next game. Even with owners, you cannot control the next day in football.”
Since taking over from Sporting Lisbon last November, Amorim’s reign has been turbulent. The Red Devils have recorded just 10 wins in 34 Premier League matches and have yet to secure back-to-back league victories this season. United currently sit ninth in the table — a position that has intensified frustration among fans.
Club chief executive Omar Berrada recently admitted that Amorim’s adaptation to the Premier League has been “more challenging than anyone imagined,” acknowledging that the transition period has tested both the manager and the squad.
Despite Ratcliffe’s attempt to project calm, Amorim insists that internal pressure remains high and that he doesn’t want complacency to creep into the dressing room.
“It’s really good because it helps fans understand the leadership knows it will take time,” he said.
“But at the same moment, I don’t like it because it gives a feeling that we have time to work things out.
I don’t want that feeling in our club. In football, especially in big clubs, you must prove yourself every weekend.”
Amorim’s focus now turns to the crucial fixture at Anfield, where United will look to silence critics and restore belief with a strong performance against arch-rivals Liverpool.
