Sir Jim Ratcliffe admits Ruben Amorim is 'not perfect' as Man Utd part-owner lifts lid on training ground exchanges with 'emotional' head coach

Ruben Amorim's performance as head coach of United has come under scrutiny in recent months, with the Portuguese coach having failed to inspire a change in the team's form since replacing Erik ten Hag in November 2024. The Red Devils are currently 14th in the Premier League and in real danger of missing out on European football for next season.

Despite Amorim's early struggles in Manchester, Red Devils part-owner Ratcliffe has come to the manager's defence, telling The Times: "I think coaches are emotional, and Ruben’s no exception to that. And he’s a young coach. And he’s not perfect. You know, he’s not a guy who … he’s got to be good on the stage, but we want him to be good on the grass. And part of that is life on the stage, isn’t it?

"You know, you’re a young guy, you’ve come into the Premier League for the first time in your life, you’ve come in mid-season, it’s not your natural language. You have to give the guy a bit of a break. I mean, give me a hard time, I have no problem with that. But give Ruben a break. I think he’s a good guy; he’s working hard, and I think he’s doing a great job."

When asked whether he feels that Amorim is the right man to take United forward, Ratcliffe added: "Yeah, I do, honestly. I really, really like Ruben. He’s a very thoughtful guy. Every time I go to the training ground, I speak to Ruben. I sit down and have a cup of coffee with him and tell him where it’s going wrong, and he tells me to f*ck off. I like him."

The English giants will be back in action on Thursday as they host Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Europa League round of 16 fixture, having been held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg in San Sebastian.