Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has received a supportive message from a fellow Premier League manager, who has argued that there are signs of improvement at Old Trafford
Fulham manager Marco Silva has argued that Ruben Amorim is making progress after a difficult start at Manchester United.
It has been a dismal season for United, who sit 13th in the Premier League. Upon Amorim’s appointment in November, it was hoped that the team would begin to climb the table, but the highly-rated Portuguese coach lost five of his first eight league games in charge.
United’s league position and elimination from the FA Cup have left the club reliant on winning the Europa League to secure European football next season. However, there have been some green shoots as United are unbeaten in their last four league games, and Fulham boss Silva has noticed Amorim’s increasing influence over the squad.
“Ruben is at a different club, a club of different dimensions,” Silva told Portuguese outlet A Bola when asked about his compatriots managing in the Premier League. “We’re starting to see something of the process he wants and obviously it will be game by game.
“We all know that the Premier League is a very different competition; every challenge we face requires a lot of preparation. Everyone is doing their best and representing Portuguese football well.”
In 2021, Amorim led Sporting CP to their first league title in 19 years and repeated the feat last season. His impressive coaching career so far was enough to convince the United hierarchy, and a ringing endorsement from one of the Premier League’s top managers is a sign that his team is starting to head in the right direction.
Silva’s side knocked United out of the FA Cup on penalties earlier this month and are just four points off a Champions League spot. While United may envy Fulham’s prospects, Amorim still has an opportunity to end his first season with a trophy.
The club will face Lyon in the Europa League quarter-finals next month, and the competition could provide a path to Champions League qualification. United do have a pedigree in the Europa League, having won the trophy in 2017 and reached the final in 2021.
However, when discussing possible success in the Europa League, Amorim provided a glimpse into the standards he is attempting to set at Old Trafford. The United boss insisted it would still be a disappointing campaign for the club, even if it ended with silverware.
“It’s just the pressure of winning. In this club, everything is so important,” Amorim explained to TNT Sports. “Just the pressure of winning is always the same. Not just winning, but also the performance. I think we have, in this moment, a lot of pressure on us.
“People look at this competition as the only competition that can save our season. I don’t see it like that. Nothing can save our season.”
“In this club, you have to perform in every competition,” he added. “I understand that it’s really important that we want to win and go to the next stage.
“The season has been really tough in our position in the league. That’s what I mean. I don’t look at things to save something. I just want to be better as a coach and for my team to perform better.”