Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones has given his thoughts on Rúben Amorim after a tough start to his first full season in charge.
Rúben Amorim took charge of Manchester United in November 2024, despite making it clear he would rather wait until the end of the season due to the change of system that would be needed at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese manager famously said that it would get worse before it got better at United, a very honest statement that hasn’t been seen by many managers since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Despite the poor results on the pitch, United fans have continued to sing “he’ll turn the Reds around” to the tune of “It’s a Heartache” by Bonnie Tyler in support of Amorim.
The Red Devils have improved this season and came close to beating Arsenal after dominating the 90 minutes, but conceded due to an Altay Bayindir error from a Declan Rice corner.
Jones praises Amorim
Phil Jones – who spent 12 years as a United player – has had his say on Amorim’s time at United after being a pundit for the Carabao Cup loss to Grimsby Town.
Speaking to Ladbrokes, Jones said: “I’ll tell you where I’m at with Amorim… I like him. I like the transparency he has between the players and the fans – and I think that’s certainly been something we’ve missed over the last few years.
“I think certain previous managers have missed a trick, because if you’re transparent with this fanbase, they will back you all the way; they will sing your name and cheer for you. Look, he came in straight away and said things were going to get worse before they got better, and that’s been the case.
“I like his authenticity. He is who he is, and he’ll face criticism for it. But he’s not going to change for anyone. He owns it. He inherited a squad which wasn’t his, halfway through a season, who were used to playing a different way. Let’s just give him time.”
Jones added: “Let’s not be too hasty. He’s at United, so that’s easier said than done at times, because there’s all this talk around him being on borrowed time, and that kind of talk snowballs with every bad result.”
Jones reflects on Europa League failure
Later in the same interview, Jones said: “I think we all just need to calm down a little bit and see what happens. You know, I know things didn’t work out in that Europa League final, but he was 90 minutes away from getting the team back in the Champions League after a few months in charge.”
Read More: Benjamin Šeško’s biggest challenge at Manchester United is obvious after bizarre Alan Shearer claim
“It’s just crazy how things could have gone, and how everything that could have gone wrong, has gone wrong up to this point. Obviously, there are going to be question marks; you’re at Man United, there are always going to be question marks over you. It was the same as a player.
The former centre-back added: “Now they’re out of the League Cup, they’ve only got the FA Cup and the Premier League, so it’ll be interesting to see Amorim’s team selection for the cup when it comes around in the new year, and how strong he goes.”
Amorim could have many unhappy players to deal with when the FA Cup rolls around, with no mid-week fixture until the start of December and a big squad at Old Trafford.
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 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.