As Ruben Amorim considered the visit of Sunderland to Old Trafford on Saturday, his message was loud and clear: actions speak louder than words.
Given some of the words that have come on his way since the abject defeat of last weekend in Brentford, the hope must be that the Manchester United manager and his players will be able to make up for sentiment.
Gary Neville has branded the performances and results of a team that has lost almost twice as many games as it has won under Amorim “unacceptable”, while Wayne Rooney, United’s recordcorer, believes that the “soul has disappeared” from the club and suggested that he has “no faith” in the power of the manager to turn.
Both players have been critical of Amorim’s tactical approach, where Neville describes the deployment of Mason Mount as a left-wing back in the Signature 3-4-2-1 formation of the Portuguese as “unforgivable”.
Ruben Amorim: ‘It’s not time to say, it’s time to show “
It is hardly the first time that the Portuguese, whose position has been the focus of ruthless research, has been forced to confront criticism. Amorim consistently defended his approach, but his words about the latest brickbats – and whether he had a positive message for supporters – were tinted with an unmistakable fatigue about renewing old land.
“It’s not time to say, it’s time to show,” said Amorim, who won only nine of the 33 games in the Premier League and has to string two consecutive victories.
“It’s normal, you can’t run away from the results, and then you have luggage from last season. But last season, for me, doesn’t matter.
“With regard to the system, we have already discussed that. We had six games this season and we lost three [against Arsenal, Manchester City and Brentford].
Ruben Amorim says that the poor results of Manchester United are not related to his system
“We have to look at the games we have lost – if we lost against Arsenal because of the system. If you look at the game against City, the first thing you think was: ‘It is the system’ I think you are not thinking about the system at that time. And Brentford, I think the way we have given goals, the way we have made the way in which we have made the way in which the way in which we have the way in which the way we have made the way in which we have the way in which we have made the way.
“I am not saying that this team would play better in another system or not, that’s not my point. My point is, when I look [at] The games that we have not won, the most important thing when I look at the game is not that we have lost because of the system. That’s my opinion; People have different opinions, that’s okay.
‘You can’t say [the system] Does not work if it works in one weekend and in the other it doesn’t work. If something doesn’t work, it doesn’t work every day.
“If it works one day and not the other, it works very well the next day, it’s something about the way we do the same. So we have to do the same in the same way – and we don’t.”
Why Sunderland will pose a threat to Manchester United
As Amorim knows, finding that clarity will not be easy against a Sunderland side that has only been defeated once in the competition this season.
“It is a team that plays very well,” Amorim said about the fifth placed Sunderland, who will continue to impress under manager Régis Le Bris since earning promotion last season.
“It is a clear system with many rotations on the side of the pitch. They know that we will be under pressure and we must be able to play that.
“They have a clear identity. It is a very good manager and a very good team.”
How the United Faithful should wish that they could make similar claims.
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