Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has called Ruben Amorim “naïve” after the Portuguese told reporters he’s targeting the Premier League title in the aftermath of his side’s limp FA Cup exit.
After losing to Fulham on penalties at Old Trafford this evening, Amorim’s only chance of securing any silverware in his first season with United is the Europa League, for which the uphill struggle begins at Real Sociedad on Thursday.
In his post-match comments, the United boss said that the “goal is to win the Premier League”, and Rooney’s response was a healthy dose of realism.
Speaking on the BBC, he suggested that a better target is simply to get the side further up the table which really is the least that can be expected given they currently languish in 14th place.
United’s all-time top-scorer said that he thinks the manager will “get time” but needs to start delivering.
He said: “It’s not a free hit because he’ll expect more from Man United than what we’re seeing since he’s been in. It’s very difficult to come in during the season and have no pre-season, but he has to look to the future and moving forward.”
It’s a particularly relevant point given Amorim’s resolute dedication to his 3-4-3 system, and the need to refresh the squad to support it is clear to see, so the future is all he really has.
And reacting to what that future holds his ambition was noted but was questioned by Rooney, whose own forays into management have been summarily underwhelming.
Rooney said: “He says winning the Premier League, how can they compete? To get further up the table, I think that’s the next step for them.
“Managers aren’t getting that time over the last ten, 15 years. You have to be selfish as a manager and say ‘okay, if I don’t do it now I might not get that time.’
“I think it’s a little naive to say they’re looking to win the Premier League because from where they are now, they’re a long way off that.”
There’s little doubt that Amorim is already for some commentators flirting with the sack at United, but it would be a surprise to see him lose his job before the end of the season.
The 2025 summer transfer window will be the club’s most pivotal in years, with INEOS needing to oversee a player turnover fit to equip the Portuguese with the tools he needs to make his ambitions, and those of the club, come true.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
