Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has addressed criticism which has been sent his way by ex-Red Devils captain Roy Keane, with the 53-year-old questioning the team’s recent Premier League performances.
The 20-time English champions lost again in the Premier League last weekend, going down 4-3 to Brentford, but they booked their spot in the final of the Europa League on Thursday night courtesy of a 4-1 success over Athletic Bilbao in the second leg of their semi-final.
Man United have lost 16 times in England’s top flight this term, and they are currently down in 15th spot in the Premier League table ahead of Sunday’s contest with West Ham United at Old Trafford.
Keane, speaking on The Overlap, accused Amorim of writing off Premier League matches in search of Europa League glory, with the club’s former captain unhappy with how the team are seemingly throwing away games in the league.
Amorim has said that he ‘agrees’ with the ex-midfielder, but the Portuguese has reiterated the importance of winning the Europa League, which would secure a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Amorim agrees with Keane’s criticism of league performances
“Yeah, we are trying to do our best but I agree. We can do better. And, again, I don’t have anything to say about the criticism because we deserve it. If we cannot accept everything in this kind of season, I think we are in the wrong business, and I have full acknowledgement of that,” Amorim told reporters during his press conference to preview Sunday’s game with West Ham.
“I agree with all the critics but, in this moment, I think it’s really clear and we have to be smart. We have to take a risk and we have to take the risk to get a lot of criticisms from everybody because the standards of Roy Keane and all of these guys are really high.
“But I have to make a choice. What is the best for the club not what is the best for me. I make a choice in this moment [that] I’m going to try to save all the players because it’s really important for us to win the final.”
Man United have won 10, drawn nine and lost 16 of their 35 Premier League matches this season, and they could finish the campaign as low as 17th, which is an indication of their struggles in 2024-25.
Win or bust for Man United in Europa League final
For all of the criticism that has been sent Man United’s way, the 20-time English champions could end the season with a major trophy, with Tottenham Hotspur their opponents in the Europa League final on May 21.
Man United will take on West Ham and Chelsea in their next two league matches before tackling Spurs in the final, with the 2024-25 campaign then ending with a league fixture against Aston Villa.
It is expected to be a busy summer transfer window for the Red Devils, and securing Champions League football for next season would place the club in a much stronger position when it comes to recruitment.
