Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has insisted he remains the right man for the job despite a dismal Europa League exit that capped off a torrid season for the club.
United were beaten 1-0 by Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night, with Brennan Johnson’s scrappy first-half goal enough to secure Champions League qualification for Spurs and condemn United to a season without European football.
The defeat, which leaves United 16th in the Premier League with just one match remaining, has intensified scrutiny on Amorim, who succeeded Erik ten Hag following the Dutchman’s dismissal in October.
However, the Portuguese boss was defiant in his post-match comments, making it clear he would only walk away if the board or fans deemed him unfit for the role.
“In this moment, I am not going to be here defending myself — it is not my style,” Amorim told reporters.
“I will not do anything to justify this performance. I have nothing to show to the fans. It is now about a little bit of faith. But if the board and the fans feel I am not the right guy, I will go the next day without any conversation about compensation.”
The financial ramifications of missing out on Champions League football are significant. Club co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has previously estimated the value of qualification at £80–100 million in lost broadcast, commercial, and matchday revenue.
“It is tough for a club like us not to be in the Champions League,” Amorim admitted. “But now we have to adapt — a different plan, even for the transfer market. The upside is more time during the week to think and work. That will be our focus now: the Premier League.”
United’s performance was largely lacklustre in the first half, marred by nervousness and sloppy defending, which led to Johnson’s decisive goal. Despite showing greater urgency in the second half, efforts from Rasmus Højlund, Alejandro Garnacho, and Luke Shaw were all denied by an inspired Spurs goalkeeper.
“We didn’t perform perfectly today but I believe we were better than the opponent,” Amorim said. “In the second half we tried everything — pushing the centre-backs wide, getting crosses into the box. But today was simply not our day.”
Critics have questioned whether the club has regressed under Amorim’s leadership. But the manager pushed back on that notion.
“I don’t agree that we are going backwards. Yes, we’ve had bad results, but we’ve improved in some areas. We’ve been more competitive, but just didn’t score in some of those games.
I know I’m a young manager, and I understand the pressure. But if we’d scored one of our chances, this press conference would be very different.”
With one league fixture left and United languishing just above the relegation zone, Amorim’s future at Old Trafford is uncertain. But for now, he’s standing firm — and says he’s ready for the fight.