Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim urges fans to focus chants on players rather than him, emphasizing team support ahead of a key match against Arsenal.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has expressed his discomfort with the chant dedicated to him by the club’s supporters, urging fans to redirect their enthusiasm toward the players instead. The Portuguese boss has quickly endeared himself to the Old Trafford faithful following an unbeaten start to his tenure, which includes back-to-back home victories against Bodo/Glimt and Everton.
Despite the growing positivity surrounding his leadership, Amorim is not keen on the song fans have crafted for him, which is sung to the tune of the 1980s classic Baby Give It Up by KC and The Sunshine Band. Speaking at a press conference ahead of United’s challenging trip to Arsenal on Wednesday, Amorim explained his reasons.
"I don’t like my chant. I don’t like it,” Amorim admitted. “I feel a little bit… not embarrassed but because I’m the coach. They have to chant for the players and for the club, so it’s not a good thing for me. I understand and I really appreciate the connection with the supporters, but I want them to support the team and the players, because they are on the pitch – I’m more outside the pitch."
“I’m really honoured about that and I feel a connection with the supporters, but we know that we need results to maintain that," he added.
The 38-year-old manager, widely regarded as one of the brightest young coaches in European football, has been tasked with revitalizing Manchester United following Erik ten Hag’s departure. His team faces a significant test on Wednesday as they travel to face an in-form Arsenal side.
Acknowledging the challenge, Amorim called on his players to be courageous in their approach to disrupt Arsenal’s impressive run of three consecutive high-scoring wins. “It’s important to be brave,” he said. “When I say brave, it’s not pressing all the time higher. It’s not the same. You have to understand the moments of the game. We need to have the ball, that is a key point.”
Amorim stressed the importance of balance, stating that United would need to dominate certain phases of the game despite the difficulty of controlling the match against a team in such fine form. “We want to have the ball, we want also to dominate some moments of the game because we know that in these matches it’s hard to control all the game,” he explained.
As United fans continue to rally behind their new manager, Amorim hopes their chants will shine a spotlight on the players who are striving to deliver results on the pitch. A positive outcome at the Emirates would further solidify his growing reputation among supporters, even if he remains reluctant to take center stage in their songs.
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