Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has issued an update on the respective situations of Andre Onana and Alejandro Garnacho, after the pair were axed from the matchday squad that beat Aston Villa 2-0.
Amad and Christian Eriksen both scored in the second half to secure a win for United in their final game of the Premier League season.
Before the match, it emerged that Garnacho and Onana would not be part of the matchday squad. David Ornstein revealed that Amorim told Garnacho to look for a new club following his outburst in the Europa League final.
Meanwhile, Amorim is believed to be keen on signing a new goalkeeper after Onana’s multiple howlers, which have dearly cost the Red Devils.
After the final whistle, Amorim spoke to reporters in his post-match presser.
Asked about his comments that everyone needs to stick together and whether they were related to the pre-match protest, Amorim answered, “No, it’s everything. It’s hard to point one thing. In difficult moments, sometimes we blame each other as a club and as a family. It’s normal, but we need to stick together and we will be okay. That’s all.”
On the source of his optimism, Amorim said, “That we have to see next season. We are improving as a team and sometimes the results don’t show that but we are improving. The final was not a great game but if you ask anyone who was the better team, it was us – that is clear.”
“Today we did good against a team that with one point, could have been in the Champions League. We are improving and we are changing so many things at Carrington. There are so many important things at this club that the results don’t show and you can’t see it, but they will be really important in the future.”
On whether United still need “open-heat surgery,” Amorim remarked, “We did a lot of changes as a club in maybe the last six months and we changed things that a normal club could only do in three years…a lot of people leaving. In the day by day, how we behave, who is in charge at Carrington, who decides things – I think we’re changing that and it’s really important.”
“If you look at the past, I think that was a characteristic of this club – that the standards were really high.”
Pressed further on whether the squad needs changing, Amorim said, “It’s hard to talk about that because we have the FFP rules and we’re limited, especially this year.”
“So, we need to be patient. Of course we’re going to have changes. You say three players today are leaving and they’re the kind of characters we need here. But then we need to see the characteristics of the player, to try and play in a different way, so we are doing that. But we have to be patient because we have FFP limitations.”
Asked to provide clarity on Garnacho and Andre Onana’s future, Amorim told reporters, “Onana was just for Altay [Bayindir] to have this experience. Sometimes the goalkeepers nowadays need space to play and feel important because we need two, three goalkeepers ready, especially when we’re in many competitions.”
“And then Garnacho is a Manchester United player that is not in the squad today but he’s a normal player in our club and I have no news that will change today.”
Amorim continued, “Garnacho is one more player of Manchester United. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future but he’s a normal player.”
Amorim admitted that he’s excited that the season has come to an end but emphasised there is no time to waste as there’s a lot of work to be done ahead of next season.
It was put to the 40-year-old coach that he and his players will be under immense pressure to start next season well after a disastrous 2024/25.
On this, Amorim said, “That is normal. That’s a risk when I started six months ago. If you start now, we can have a pre-season, prepare for the future and then that season will be the first season. People will look at me like it’s not just my first season. I have to deliver next year. I’m really confident that we’re going to play better and have more results.”
He however cautioned that it will take time and there will be some more suffering but improved results are a must.
Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
