What Sir Jim Ratcliffe did with Rúben Amorim moments after the Europa League final speaks volumes about the head coach’s future at Manchester United.
Manchester United fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on Wednesday evening, ending their hopes of Champions League football next season.
Spurs began on the front foot, testing André Onana early, but United slowly grew into the game after the 20-minute mark. Just before the break, however, Brennan Johnson gave Tottenham the lead, bundling the ball home after a deflection off Luke Shaw.
In the second half, Rúben Amorim turned to Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee to spark a response, replacing Mason Mount and Rasmus Højlund with 20 minutes left. Yet despite the fresh legs, United looked disjointed and lacked cutting edge.
Tottenham saw out the match with composure, sealing a deserved win and leaving United to reflect on a bitterly disappointing night.
Ratcliffe’s immediate reaction after the final
Following the full-time whistle, almost all United fans said the same thing – although United’s players were poor, Amorim’s decision-making was the same.
It was a surprise to see Mount starting over Garnacho, with the electrifying winger a much more direct threat. When he was finally introduced, it felt as if the move came too late for his side, which had produced 70 minutes of dross on the field.
Amorim’s team has been dire in the Premier League and put all their eggs in the Europa League basket. After producing such a lacklustre performance against Tottenham on Wednesday evening, there have been reactionary calls for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his United powerbrokers to sack the head coach.
However, after the full-time whistle, Amorim was seen cutting a lonely figure on the pitch, and United’s British co-owner went out of his way to hug the 40-year-old, doing so as he collected his runners-up medal.
Amorim’s job is safe this summer
Ahead of the final, it was reported by The Mirror and others that, even if United lost the Europa League final, Amorim would not be at risk of being sacked.
Although a loud section of fans will demand that the Portuguese coach be removed from the club following the loss, Ratcliffe’s actions speak volumes about Amorim’s future at United.
Amorim is known to isolate and collect himself after a loss before speaking with other coaches or the players, but Ratcliffe’s choice to head for Amorim and embrace him shows that the British billionaire who chose him to replace Erik ten Hag in November last year is still a firm fan of the head coach.
United are now set to press ahead and attempt to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liam Delap from Ipswich Town to bolster United’s pathetic front line, with Amorim still at the helm as the club head into the 2025 pre-season.
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