Every word from Ruben’s press conference

Friday 29 August 2025 13:59

Ruben Amorim says he will continue to be honest in the way he communicates in the media, following Wednesday’s defeat at Grimsby Town.

The boss, speaking in the build-up to the Premier League clash with Burnley at Old Trafford, was asked to clarify some of his post-match comments at Blundell Park.

Amorim admitted that he was upset and disappointed at the manner of our performance in the Carabao Cup second-round tie, and that this transmitted to his on-pitch interviews after the final whistle.

But he added that’s who he is – someone who wears his heart on his sleeve – as he looked to shift the narrative on to the visit of Scott Parker’s side on Saturday…

Good afternoon Ruben. After the defeat to Grimsby you made a few comments about something needing to change and the players spoke very loudly about the performance. Just a few days after, can you clarify what you meant by those comments?
“I know that when I speak these things… to be really honest with you guys every time we had, or have in the future, one defeat like that, I’m going to be like that. I’m going to say sometimes I hate, sometimes I love my players, sometimes I want to defend my players. This is my way of doing things and I’m going to be like that. I felt in that moment, I was so frustrated and annoyed. I know you have a lot of experienced people talking about the way I should perform with the media – to be more constant, to be more calm. I’m not going to be like that. I am trying to accept that, I’m going to be who I am. That’s why I have the passion that I have. In that moment I was really upset and really disappointed, because I felt like we had a good pre-season, we were playing better, we were being consistent in the way we played. We played badly 30 minutes against Fulham, and then that kind of performance [at Grimsby] I was really disappointed with everything. But now, it’s a new game and I’m focused on the next game.”

You also said you’d have time to think and I appreciate you were emotional after the Grimsby game but you said after the Burnley game you’d have to think in the international break. I was just wondering are you planning to have some conversations with Jason Wilcox?
“I always have conversations with them. I am focusing on this game and I need to live this day by day. I’m understanding that and I’m going to be like that all the time so prepare yourselves.”

I take on board what you’re saying but what you said people think you could walk away on Sunday, it brings an air of uncertainty. Are you aware of that, do you have to accept that is part of your emotion?
“If you are one way and if you have this kind of behaviour you have to understand that you have things that are good with and then you have the other side of the coin. I understand that, and again 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.”

Just in terms of some of your players, we were told yesterday that there’s a deal agreed for Garnacho to go to Chelsea, Rasmus is going to go to Napoli but we know Kobbie has said he wants to leave on loan because he doesn’t believe he’s going to play many games. Could you just update us on all three of those situations?
“No, until it’s official I cannot say much. I want Kobbie to stay. He needs to fight for his place and we need Kobbie. That is not going to change, the rest I don’t know how it’s going to finish. I understand that the players who are not playing in this moment are disappointed. Everyone will have the same opportunity to play, you have to fight during the week.”

Ruben you said towards the end of last season that if you felt the feeling this season was the same as last season, maybe someone else should take your place. Do you feel the feeling has changed, despite the results?
“I felt that after the game, I don’t feel that now. It’s a little bit like that. I think that’s the hardest part of the defeat – sometimes it’s not the result, it’s the way we lost or drew that game. That is the thing that’s hard to accept, because we can do better. It’s the small things: recovery positions, fight for the ball, running, all these small things. Sometimes we dropped a little bit the level. The good thing is that we now have the next game to put that level up and that is the focus.”