Ruben Amorim has said it is up to the players called “overpaid” and “not good enough” by Sir Jim Ratcliffe to prove the Manchester United co-owner wrong.
The United head coach implied those singled out by Ratcliffe could have few complaints, and named Casemiro as one player who can perform “so much better”.
Ratcliffe cited Casemiro, Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana, Antony and Jadon Sancho as players United will have to pay transfer instalments for this summer and in a follow-up answer told the BBC: “It takes time for us to move away from the past into a new place in the future. Some are not good enough and some probably are overpaid.”
Pressed on the matter at a news conference on Wednesday, Amorim said: “I think if we are being honest, in this moment, everybody — me, all the players — is underperforming. So we can always change that. I include myself in that part of underperforming.
“You are talking about players like Casemiro, for example, that won everything and we know that these kind of players can play so much better. So that is the focus. He (Ratcliffe) was honest in that. The focus is to change his mind and to change all the people’s minds.”
Casemiro is one of United’s highest-paid players, although his salary has been cut 25 per cent due to an absence of Champions League football, taking his wage below £300,000 ($388k) per week.
Amorim said none of his players had approached him with any complaints, and training ahead of Real Sociedad had been enjoyable. “I think it is the right way to do it,” he said. “If you are a top player and play in this football club, and even me — a lot of people say I am not good enough for the club — and my feeling is you can change that with results. In training, I feel they want that really bad, especially tomorrow.”
Ratcliffe also gave strong backing to Amorim and told The Times that he has a healthy, robust relationship with the Portuguese. “It is really good since day one,” Amorim added.
“I think we are really blunt and honest with each other. It’s a little bit our characters, we are quite similar in that. I always felt the support of the board and especially from Sir Jim.
“I cannot tell you the conversations, but they are simple conversations, clear conversations and honest conversations.”
Chief executive Omar Berrada said he “would love” to have Amorim lead out United at the proposed new stadium, revealed on Tuesday. “I already knew that,” Amorim replied.
“All these conversations I already had in the past with them. After matches, they went to the dressing room to talk to me and explain this but to say it publicly is really good for the coach.
“But I continue to say the same thing. We need results and we need to improve the team.
“It is an amazing stadium, like it should be, but it is in the future, five years from now so we have to focus on the present and I am really excited to win things in Old Trafford. That is our focus.”
(Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
