Ruben Amorim has admitted he has considered quitting Manchester United, revealing in a candid interview that he sometimes “hates” his players as the club struggles through a difficult start to the season.
The Portuguese coach’s comments came after United suffered a humiliating League Cup second-round defeat against fourth-tier Grimsby on Wednesday, a result that has intensified scrutiny on Amorim just nine months into his tenure.
United, who opened the Premier League season with a loss to Arsenal and a draw against Fulham, now face further pressure following the Grimsby debacle. Another disappointing result against promoted Burnley on Saturday could heighten calls for change, though Amorim reportedly still enjoys the backing of co-owner Jim Ratcliffe.
Speaking on Friday, Amorim gave a rare glimpse into his emotional state:
“Every time in the future we have one defeat like that I’m going to be like that. Sometimes I hate my players, sometimes I love my players, sometimes I defend them, and sometimes I think I cannot,” he said.
“This is my way of doing things. In that moment, I was so frustrated, so annoyed. Sometimes I want to quit, sometimes I want to be here for 20 years. Sometimes I love to be with my players, sometimes I don’t want to be with them. I need to improve on that it’s going to be hard but now I’m focused on the next game.”
Amorim acknowledged that it was not just the result that upset him, but the manner in which United lost.
“Sometimes it’s not the result, it’s the way we lost that game or drew that game. That is the hardest part to accept,” he said. “We can do better. At this moment, we cover positions, fight for the ball, run all these small things, sometimes we drop the level a little. The good thing is that we now have the next game to put that level up.”
The defeat against Grimsby came after United invested around £200 million ($269 million) on forwards Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha over the summer. Amorim’s overhaul followed a disappointing loss to Tottenham in the Europa League final, which had denied United a place in the Champions League.
Reflecting on pre-season, Amorim admitted he had been surprised by the team’s underwhelming start.
“I felt we had a very good pre-season, we were playing better, we were consistent in the way we played,” he said. “We played badly for 30 minutes against Fulham, and that kind of performance against Grimsby I was really disappointed with everything. But now it’s a new game, and we focus on that.”
Despite calls from pundits and experienced figures to adopt a calmer, more measured approach with the media, Amorim insisted he would stay true to his passionate style.
“I know a lot of experienced people talk about how I should behave with the media, to be more constant, to be calmer. I’m not going to be like that,” he said.