MANCHESTER UNITED manager Ruben Amorim has denied that his recent meeting with co-owner Jim Ratcliffe constituted crisis talks despite the club’s poor start to the season.
United have collected just four points from their opening four Premier League matches and suffered an embarrassing League Cup exit to fourth-tier Grimsby Town.
Amorim has won only eight of his 31 Premier League games since taking charge in November but stated that Ratcliffe reassured him about the club’s long-term project.
“A new contract,“ Amorim joked when questioned about the meeting with British billionaire Ratcliffe.
“No, it is normal things, just to show the support and explaining that it is a long project.”
United finished 15th in the Premier League last season, their worst top-flight placing since 1973-74, and missed Champions League qualification by losing the Europa League final to Tottenham.
Despite these disappointing results, Amorim maintains that United are showing signs of improvement and simply need greater ruthlessness in both penalty areas.
“This is football at the club with maybe more pressure in the world, but we want to win,“ he added.
“I think last year I was very critical of the way we play. I think we are playing well until the boxes, defending and attacking, we need to be more aggressive in the boxes. We need to be more clinical.”
“The rest I think we are improving compared to last year, I think we are in a better place. But again, we need to win, we lost against Arsenal and (Manchester) City, and here, losing, especially in the beginning after last season, is a problem.”
United face another challenging fixture when Chelsea visit Old Trafford on Saturday, though Amorim welcomes back Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha from injury. – AFP
