'You were punished' - Man Utd icon says Sir Alex Ferguson would have squashed the kind of indiscipline Ruben Amorim is facing at Old Trafford

Ahead of United’s Premier League trip to Aston Villa last Sunday, manager Amorim accused the club’s younger players of being "entitled" when asked why he has been reticent to lean on them in the 2025-26 season.

The former Sporting CP boss had previously criticised the progress of both defender Harry Amass, who is currently on loan at Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, and forward Chido Obi - which led to the youngsters defending their performances with thinly-veiled posts on social media.

"Sometimes strong words are not bad words," said Amorim. "Difficult moments are not a bad thing for the kids. They feel entitlement. Let's stay, let's fight, let's overcome. I have that feeling all the time. We are not performing the way we should be on the pitch but outside the pitch, I am not failing this club. The players forget what it means to play for Manchester United and that's the feeling I have.

"The kids feel entitled and feel free to respond. My office is always open and no one comes to speak to me. I didn't say anything wrong. I just spoke about how the lack of playing for Manchester United. You go and see different realities and go and see that football can be so different."

However, Amorim was more complimentary to Kobbie Mainoo when asked about the midfielder’s half-brother, who raised eyebrows during the club’s 4-4 league draw with Bournemouth on 15 December.

Former Love Island contestant Jordan Mainoo-Hames was pictured wearing a t-shirt which read ‘Free Kobbie Mainoo’ at Old Trafford - a reference to his sibling’s lack of minutes under Amorim this season.

England international Kobbie is yet to make a single start for United so far, with the 20-year-old having made 11 appearances off the bench. 

"It was not Kobbie who wore the T-shirt," said Amorim. "No [it won't affect team selection against Villa]. He is going to play if we feel he is the right guy. That is not an issue. I am not going to do something to Kobbie because of someone in his family. I'm used to it, I've been here for a year. He played really well, that is the important thing, my office is always open, nobody went there this week so everything is normal and we are ready to go to Villa."

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Amorim also told Alejandro Garnacho he was not part of his plans ahead of the current season, before the winger completed his £40 million (€46m/$54m) move to Chelsea in August.

The Argentina international had previously said he would "see what happens” after only appearing as a 71st-minute substitute in United’s Europa League final defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in May. 

Garnacho’s brother, Roberto, criticised Amorim on social media after the game in Bilbao, writing: "Working as no one else, helping every round, coming from two goals in the last two finals, just to be on the pitch for 19 mins and get thrown under the bus. Wowe [sic], hahahahahaha.”

However, United’s academy players have now been told they are fortunate they are not playing under iconic manager Ferguson, who would have been quick to "punish" their indiscipline.

Former Red Devils winger Nani - who represented the club between 2007 and 2015, winning 12 trophies including four league titles - recalls being dropped for a number of games by Ferguson after realising he was not behaving correctly "behind the scenes.”

In quotes carried by the Daily Mail, when asked if United’s current generation of youngsters would get away with their behaviour in Ferguson’s era, the 39-year-old said: "No way, not a chance. If someone needed it, he would put a player to one side for a game, and usually they would learn straight away. If you were in trouble for any kind of bad behaviour, you would only play again when you changed.

"You need to accept the rules and then you need to follow the rules. For us in that time, that was the key. Nobody was bigger than the club. No player, not Ronaldo, not Rooney, not Giggs, nobody. If you’re behaviour wasn’t good enough, you were punished.

"It actually happened to me during one of my first weeks. I played one fantastic game and then I went several weeks without playing. I was complaining, talking with Cristiano, saying 'hey, I don't know why I’m not playing'. I knew there was something behind the scenes they wanted me to fix, and then when I found out what it was, I addressed it, worked hard. These players need something similar; discipline and rules."

Ferguson is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers in the history of the game, having dominated English football during his 26-year reign at United. The 83-year-old lifted countless honours at the Theatre of Dreams including 13 league titles, two Champions League crowns and five FA Cups.

United are looking to return to winning ways when they play host to Newcastle United on Boxing Day. After the 4-4 draw with Bournemouth, Amorim’s charges were put to the sword by a Morgan Rogers double at Villa last Sunday.

Newcastle, meanwhile, could move level on points with seventh-placed United, should they emerge victorious at Old Trafford. Eddie Howe’s side - who are currently 11th in the table - have only lost one of their last seven fixtures in all competitions.