Ruben Amorim said the time for talking is over and that he cannot run away from Manchester United’s results as he admitted he has to show their supporters he is the right man to manage the club.
But the Portuguese said that last season does not matter for him. Amorim has only taken 34 points from his 33 league games in charge of United, but 27 of those matches came last year, producing 27 points.
He has had six league games this year, which have brought seven points, as well as a Carabao Cup exit to League Two Grimsby.
But while Amorim has been criticised by former United captains Wayne Rooney and Gay Neville this week, he accepts his team need to produce wins and that it is not enough for him to offer answers.
“It is not time to say, it is time to show,” he said. “It is normal and you cannot run away from the results and then you have baggage from last season but for me last season doesn’t matter.”
Neville blamed Amorim for his devotion to his 3-4-3 formation, but the former Sporting CP manager insisted the shape is not the reason for defeats.
He added: “In relation to the system, we already spoke about that. We have had six games this season, and we lost three. We have to look to the games that we lost. If we lost to Arsenal because of the system, it is your job to make the opinion. When you look at the game against City, is the first thing you think when the game starts the system? I think you don’t think about the system in that moment.
“And Brentford, the way we concede goals, the way we create chances, there is nothing to do with the system. That is my opinion. I am not saying this team would play better in a different system or not, that is not my point. My point is, if I look at the games we didn’t win, the most important thing when I watch the game is not we lost because of the system. That is my opinion and people have different opinions. That is OK.”
United, who are 14th in the Premier League, host Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday, with Amorim under pressure to deliver against the newly promoted side who are fifth in the table.