Manchester United star ‘hurt’ by Ruben Amorim admission; appreciates ‘honesty’

“Personally it hurts a lot when the manager says what he’s said. But it is just something he is really honest about. He doesn’t hide his emotions. He doesn’t hide the type of communication he wants to express – and that makes him an honest guy, an honest person. It is really hard these days to find managers and players like him. But if it hurts you, it’s a good sign because it means you want to change things. He is speaking about my team, my teammates, my club. I don’t want to hear my manager and anybody else around the club feeling like that. So what can I do to change that? That is what I focus on the most. I try to evolve as many team-mates as many people as I can into having the same energy – but then you have to fight. It is obviously something the club will address, the players have to address also. We have to look at ourselves and see what can I change to be better and try to get in the same pattern that the manager wants.”

This kind of statement is not often seen at big clubs. Amorim is not trying to protect his image or soften the reality. He exposes the failures starkly, without worrying about the immediate impact. From the outside, it looks like a reckless gesture, but inside the dressing room, it can have a different effect. Some players feel hurt, but it’s not hurt out of contempt, it’s hurt out of belonging. When someone feels pain when they hear criticism, it is because they still care about what the shirt stands for. Amorim, in speaking like this, is probably not looking for blame, but for reaction. And that reaction is key.

There is another possible reading: Amorim could be testing the group’s commitment. Instead of protecting the players, he is publicly challenging them. This requires emotional maturity. A divided dressing room will resent it, but a united one will take it as a boost. Dalot has reacted with a sense of responsibility, which hints at who in the squad is willing to fight for the club. His statement also reveals that Amorim has internal allies. Not every coach dares to speak this way about his own players. Nor do all clubs tolerate such a line. But maybe that’s just what this United team needs: less make-up and more truth.

It’s not about burning it all down, but accepting that the cycle of complacency must end. If Amorim dares to question himself publicly, it shows he does not believe he is above the shield. And if the players respond with attitude, the situation can change. United are going through a painful period, but also one that can mark the beginning of a real change. The result in Bilbao will be important, but more important will be the emotional response of the squad to what their manager has already said in no uncertain terms.