Ruben Amorim has voiced apprehension regarding his team`s encounter with Athletic Bilbao, admitting a susceptibility for his players to “lose our minds” during games.
Manchester United holds a significant 3-0 lead as they head into the second leg of the Europa League semi-final at Old Trafford on Thursday.
However, despite the comfortable advantage, Amorim cautioned that the tie is not yet decided. He expressed concern that his side could falter and concede multiple goals, drawing parallels to recent matches against Lyon and Brentford.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the manager conceded: “We cannot control the outcome or predict what will happen. Some teams understand how a game will unfold – the core narrative will remain, and they can manage it. But we lack that ability.”
He continued, “We must approach this as just another game, aiming to win. I believe we need to score to ensure qualification for the final.” Referencing past issues, he added, “We saw against Brentford, we were close to a draw, then conceded a goal, followed quickly by another. We know we will have to endure some difficult moments to reach the final, and we are prepared for that suffering.”
When questioned about the consistency of his team`s performance, Amorim commented: “Sometimes during a match, we perform consistently, and then something occurs, and we lose our composure slightly.”
He added, “But we are improving our play, we are more confident and ready to face this challenge.”
As his team nears potential silverware, Amorim was reminded of his previous statement from January where he controversially described his squad as the “worst Man Utd team in history.”
Amorim confirmed his stance hasn`t changed, even with their Europa League progress. He responded: “Looking at the Premier League results since I arrived, we are the worst team based on performance.”
He continued, “By the end of the season, we might hold the unfortunate title of the worst team in Premier League history, even if we win a European trophy. That achievement wouldn`t alter this fact.”
He concluded by acknowledging the deep disappointment of the season: “We are aware that this season has been deeply disappointing for everyone, and nothing will change that assessment. This season has been the worst – perhaps not in the club`s entire history, but certainly within the last 50 years.”
Amorim is officially considered the manager with the worst Premier League results in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, and the under-fire boss admits he is “underperforming.”
