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Ruben Amorim has broken his silence after being criticised for his ambitions by former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.
Following Man United’s disappointing FA Cup exit at the hands of Fulham last night, Amorim revealed that the bitter defeat has not persuaded him to give up on his ambitions.
The United manager stated during a post-match interview that his goal remains winning the Premier League with United.
Naturally, his admission was swiftly criticised given United’s poor season so far. Rooney called Amorim “naive” for wanting to win the league given how poor his team has been this season, adding that it would be more prudent to focus on first improving the club’s position on the league table before pursuing silverware.
Today, Amorim responded directly to Rooney’s comments.
“That is the goal [to win the Premier League]. Being naive is to think that we are going to do it this season or are going to be the best contender for the next season,” Amorim stated.
“I know that in this moment, everybody knows everything. I know that it is really easy. I was a pundit when I finished my career, so I know it is really easy,” the United manager continued, taking a clear dig at Rooney.
“Our goal is to win the Premier League. Maybe it’s not with me, but our goal as a club is winning the Premier League. We want to do better. We know that we are in a difficult moment and I’m not naive. That’s why I am manager of Manchester United at 40 years old,” Amorim concluded.
Clearly, unwilling to tolerate Rooney’s criticism, Amorim has a tough road ahead given the way that results have gone this season.
Already out of the Carabao Cup and now the FA Cup following yesterday’s loss, it appears that the UEFA Europa League remains the last opportunity for silverware that Amorim and his squad have this campaign.
On Thursday, United will travel to Spain to face Real Sociedad in what will be the first leg of their round of 16 clash.
Then, on Sunday, United will host Arsenal, with Amorim no doubt desperate to exact revenge on a team that came away with a 2-0 win in the reverse fixture.
Although United’s Premier League season may seem over given that the team sits in 14th place, it will be important for Amorim to improve his side’s form so as to finish the season strong and perhaps get into the top half of the table to save face to an extent.
Only by doing this can he start to prove Rooney wrong.
Featured image Richard Heathcote via Getty Images
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