Ruben Amorim’s makes controversial promise which shows why he can be a success at Manchester United

Ruben Amorim made a controversial promise after defeat to Arsenal which showed why he can be a success at Manchester United.

Manchester United lost 2-0 against title-chasers Arsenal on Wednesday evening despite a stern defensive display from Ruben Amorim’s side.

They limited Arsenal from open-play but were exploited through their set-pieces, with Mikel Arteta’s side scoring twice from corners in the second half.

United had to play without some key names, including Lisandro Martínez and Kobbie Mainoo.

But it was Luke Shaw’s absence which made the biggest story as the left-back suffered another injury setback despite only coming back to the team recently.

While it is only supposed to be something that keeps him out for two to three weeks, it felt significant as he was finally supposed to come back into the line-up against the Gunners.

Amorim has spoken so much about the physicality needed and huge question marks surround Shaw and his ability to deal with those demands.

However, the 39-year-old was extremely strong in his defence of the defender when asked about him on Wednesday evening, claiming that both United and England need him fit and that he will stick by him.

“Since I arrive I see him in the medical department, working a lot in the gym and working a lot on the pitch,” Amorim told reporters.

“We control the load during the games and trainings, he was losing weight, doing everything. If he continues that behaviour, he is a top player and we need him.

“No matter how long he needs, I will be with him. We will help him to return. Not just Manchester United, but your national team needs a guy like Luke Shaw, so we are here to help him.”

Some fans may find it controversial that Amorim is defending Shaw so much when he could be liability due to these injuries, but the head coach explained his first United interview that he would ‘defend my players against everybody’.

This is one of the first major examples of that at Old Trafford and is extremely different to the approach of predecessor Erik ten Hag, who was often straight forward and blunt in his messages.

Amorim can inspire his players and that has been something missing at United. While there are many things to fix, it’s easy to see why players love working under the Portuguese coach and that can help his potential success 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 released every Wednesday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.