Despite enduring a nightmarish start to life as Manchester United manager, Ruben Amorim has always retained a likability that perhaps ensured he has been given an easier ride from the media than his record would normally warrant.
There’s often a little jovial quip at something as he enters press conferences. Even a double entendre with regular journalists on occasion.
Not anymore. He greeted the room full of smiles on Friday with a brow so furrowed it was practically inverted. Like he had seen a ghost.
Amorim uncharacteristically refused to answer some questions and gave short, pointed answers to others, before administering his bleakest outlook yet when grilled about the January transfer window.
“The transfer window is not going to change,” Amorim admitted despondently.
“We have no conversations at this moment to have any change in the squad. There’s a process, there’s an idea that is going to continue. We are near the places of the Champions League, but we are near like eight teams behind us. So let’s focus on the next game, just that.
Amorim has never looked quite like this before (Photo: Getty)“I think we are playing better when we have the full squad we are clearly attacking better, we are not being good enough in the details. We always want more, we should have more points in the table.”
Amorim looked like he had just come from director of football Jason Wilcox’s office en route to his media appearance. Never has a United manager completely shut down any prospect of January business two days into the window.
The fact one so besieged and under-resourced as Amorim had to do so suggests there are bigger problems behind the scenes than we thought.
Conversations between Amorim and the club’s hierarchy are understood to have taken place this week, which would explain the solemn demeanour.
Sources have told The i Paper that short-term options such as Ruben Neves are not currently being entertained. Long-term targets have been identified, with the club ready to move for a big-name midfielder in the summer. That much is certain.
Recent poor results and injuries to other key personnel have left Amorim desperately short of options. Tuesday night’s bench against Wolves resembled a fresher’s fair of wide-eyed youngsters, pinching themselves over the position they had been promoted to.
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The i Paper has been told there is money to spend and United did actively pursue £65m Antoine Semenyo, who is poised to join Manchester City. All of that makes Amorim’s admittance even more disheartening for supporters.
Ineos are keen to right the wrongs of years of failure in the transfer market, which is why they are so reluctant to do any January business – a month notorious for panic buying.
Amorim has long insisted he is on board with that approach. The last few weeks of patching a failing team together have seemingly changed his mind – and broken his spirit.
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