Michael Owen has claimed that Ruben Amorim left Manchester United in a better place than his ‘atrocious’ predecessor, Erik ten Hag.
Following an erratic press conference, Ruben Amorim was dismissed from his duties as the Manchester United manager, and in his place, stepped caretaker Darren Fletcher.
Amorim was in charge of the Reds for only 14 months, in which time he led the side to their lowest ever Premier League finish, as well as losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
The Portuguese manager was often brutally scrutinised during his time on the Old Trafford touchline, although in the end, it was his own off-pitch antics that ended his tenure.
When speaking about the sacking, former United player and Ballon d’Or winner, Michael Owen, claimed that Amorim left the Reds in a better place than his ‘awful’ predecessor, Erik ten Hag.
Owen on Amorim’s stint
Talking to Casino.org, via Daily Mail, Owen said that, “It happened quickly, but I wasn’t surprised at all,” following the sacking of the 40-year-old.
“I was a little bit surprised with what he said after the game, but I knew that there was trouble behind the scenes. As soon as he said it, I wasn’t surprised that it ended quickly.
“You simply can’t say things like that about your team, about your employers, about anything, and expect to last. When you look back at his reign, there are so many points you can say it went wrong for him.
“I think the one positive he had, I think people liked him, the way he spoke and how he articulated things and how honest he was.
“I actually think his honesty and his take on things was quite refreshing, and he would quite openly say, ‘This is the worst Manchester United team there’s ever been’, just as one example.”
Owen slams ten Hag
Continuing his opinion, Owen spoke on Amorim’s honesty, and said, “That was an absolute stark contrast to his predecessor, Ten Hag. I thought he spoke in riddles, and I don’t think people believed what he was saying. We were often watching a different game to what he was watching.
“Under Erik ten Hag, I thought it was just atrocious. The football was awful. It hasn’t been loads better under Amorim, but there are players now, the likes of [Matheus] Cunha, [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Bruno] Fernandes, who you think might be able to take you forward.
“I think it was probably worse about a year or two ago, to be honest. We’re probably splitting hairs but I was struggling really to see any positives.
READ MORE: “We’re doing everything…” Benjamin Šeško makes ‘great things’ claim after Manchester United brace
“I think there are the signs of green shoots right now; a new training ground, big new investment, the proposal for a potential new stadium, some good players now on the pitch.
“The club is a little bit – or was a little bit – more settled than it has been for a while. Off the pitch, I don’t know, but it feels like it’s slightly better than it was a year or two ago.”
Clearly, Owen sees that his former side has made progress compared to where they were a couple of years ago, so hopefully, they can continue to build on this under new management.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 14:00 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.