Ruben Amorim admits he won’t be given as much time to succeed as Mikel Arteta
Ruben Amorim believes he will not get as much time as Mikel Arteta did at Arsenal in his attempts to transform Manchester United’s fortunes.
The Spaniard has been in charge at the Emirates Stadium for more than five years and has only won one major trophy, the 2020 FA Cup.
But he is on course for a third consecutive second-place finish in the Premier League and to take Arsenal to the Champions League quarter-finals for a second year in a row.
By contrast, Amorim’s United are languishing in 14th place in the Premier League ahead of Sunday’s meeting with the Gunners and the Portuguese, who only has a two-and-a-half year contract, believes he needs success quicker.
“I will not have the time Arteta had,” he said, before going on to reference the way the Arsenal manager moved on from Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. “I feel that. It’s a different club. So we just need to survive with the players on Sunday and we are doing these games.
“I think it’s a different club. I think in that aspect the way Arteta dealt with that is an inspiration for everybody but I will not have the time like Arteta had.”
Amorim is waiting to see if Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte, who missed Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad, are fit to return at Old Trafford on Sunday.
And he is considering giving Chido Obi, who was ineligible for the Europa League tie, a first start for United against his old club.
He added: “If they are training, if they play today, they can be ready and Chido is on the list so he can play.”
Amorim is not expecting any of the rest of United’s injured contingent to return this weekend but is holding out hopes that Amad Diallo could play again later in the campaign, though there is no chance Lisandro Martinez will.
“I think it’s just Amad and Lisandro but even Amad we will see in the last month,” he said. “I don’t want to say anything but I have the hope to have Amad before the end of the season.”
United supporters are planning protests against the co-owners, the Glazer family, and Amorim believes they are entitled to voice their opinions.
He explained: “People have the right to protest. I think it's a good thing to do that. It's part of our club. Everybody has a voice. But our job and my job is just to improve the team and give them something in this moment because they deserve it and they are amazing.”
Arteta has won only one major trophy in more than five years as Arsenal boss but Amorim doesn’t expect to get that leeway at Manchester United
www.independent.co.uk
