Ruben Amorim has vowed to pull Manchester United out of one of ‘the lowest moments’ in the club’s history, but admits it will not be easy to solve all the club’s problems.
United are in the bottom half of the table at Christmas for the first time since 1989, going to Wolves on Boxing Day after losing half of Amorim’s six Premier League games in charge.
The new head coach is confident he can turn things around and has a plan to take the club forward, but accepts he doesn’t have all the answers.
“If I knew, I would solve all the problems of this club, even this,” he said, pointing to the ceiling where a leak appeared during his press conference before the Wolves match.
‘I know what I’m going to do, it’s so clear to me. That’s why I feel so… I won’t say relaxed because I’m really frustrated, just like the fans, but I know what I have to do.
‘But then we have to solve some problems step by step and find an answer to everything. But it is a very difficult moment. We understand the fans and will fight against them.
Ruben Amorim has vowed to get Manchester United out of one of ‘the lowest moments’ in the club’s history
United are bottom of the table at Christmas for the first time since 1989
They go to Wolves on Boxing Day after losing half of Amorim’s six Premier League games in charge
‘We have to know that this (being in thirteenth place) cannot become normal. I understand that it is a difficult moment and that it is my fault. Since the first day I arrived, it has been my responsibility because I am responsible for the team.
‘This is perhaps one of the lowest moments in our club. So we have to face it and be strong at this time.
‘We just need to think about improvements, understand the context and not focus on what happened in the past. The present is this. What we have to do for the future is not to let it happen again.
“What I’m trying to say to the fans is that we understand. As a coach, I understand the moment, I understand the frustration, the disappointment. I understand and we will improve.
‘It will take time. I said the same thing here after Everton and people were talking about the top four.
“So I know it’s going to be very tough, but I think it’s important to say to the supporters: we understand, I understand and they are incredible.
“Thanks to the support we have, we are in the middle of a season that we may not be able to experience for years and we know that.
“So it’s just ours. They need our help, not the other way around. They do everything right.’
Amorim will face his Portuguese compatriot Vitor Pereira in Molineux
Amorim will be keen to avoid unnecessary injuries after Mason Mount joined Luke Shaw on the sidelines
Amorim will continue to rotate his squad at Molineux as he tries to get his ideas across to the players and, more importantly, avoid unnecessary injuries after Mason Mount and Victor Lindelof joined Luke Shaw on the sidelines.
“At the moment it is not a rotation to see the players and prepare for the future, it is simply to not have injuries,” Amorim said.
‘I just want to win games because I know there is a long-term project and that is what we are focused on.
‘I also know that big clubs don’t have much time and that you have to win games, so I have a clear idea of the responsibility I have here.
‘But I’m trying to make sure this team doesn’t get injured.
“When we have injuries it is a huge problem to win games and manage all the players, so I am not rotating to look at the future. I just want to win matches and not get injured.’
Amorim will face his Portuguese compatriot Vitor Pereira at Molineux after the new Wolves boss celebrated his first game in charge with a 3-0 win over Leicester this weekend.
“He coached in Portugal and won two titles,” Amorim added. ‘He did a great job at Porto, so I know he is a very good coach.
Victor Lindelof is also unavailable as United look to reverse their poor form
The Red Devils suffered a 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon
‘He is also in a difficult moment, but he knows the big gloves. He understands that it is very difficult for us at the moment and he will try to take advantage of it, but we will be prepared for the match.”
It will be Amorim’s first experience of Boxing Day football in England, but the 39-year-old is more concerned about lifting United out of the doldrums than enjoying the traditions of his new job.
“I just want to win,” he said. “I don’t care about Christmas and all that. I’m just concentrating on the fact that we have to win the next game. That’s the only thing.
‘It’s very good for the fans. So we can play on Boxing Day to bring some happiness to the fans and we really want to win another game.”