Belief in Amorim remains at Man Utd – but for how long?

In the weeks, days and hours before Manchester United faced Tottenham in the Europa League final, the messaging from inside Old Trafford was consistent: Win or lose, the club would be sticking with Ruben Amorim.

They hoped they would not be pushed to make that private view public.

But that is exactly what Amorim did with a punchy declaration at the end of his post-match press conference following the 1-0 defeat in Bilbao.

Amorim had begun his post-match assessment with a simple statement: “I am not going to talk about the future.”

But he ended up doing exactly that after being asked what words of comfort he could offer supporters after such a desperate season.

“I have nothing to show to the fans,” he said. “So, in this moment it is a little bit of faith.

“Let’s see. I am always open. If the board and fans feel I am not the right guy, I will go in the next day without any conversation about compensation.

“But I will not quit. I am really confident in my job. And as you see, I will not change anything in the way I do things.”

The initial reaction from those who matter at Old Trafford when they heard what Amorim had said was simple – the sentiments expressed in the build-up to the game about backing Amorim still stood.

And the belief of those running the club is that they are in tune with supporters who they expect to be singing Amorim’s name even more powerfully on Sunday when they face an Aston Villa side who, unlike them, still harbour hopes of playing in the Champions League next season.

Amorim spoke of United having had “two plans” with which to attack the transfer market this summer.

Well, the most expensive of those can now be thrown in the bin.

There is to be no £100m windfall to ease the pain of a staggeringly bad season. For only the second time since English clubs returned to the European stage in 1990, there will be no continental campaign to plan, no top table combat with which to entice potential targets.

If Sir Jim Ratcliffe was focused on his cost-cutting before, now expenditure will be assessed with even more vigour.

Interest in Wolves forward Matheus Cunha is high. He would at least bring a history of scoring goals in the Premier League.

Only skipper Bruno Fernandes of the present squad has that and finding a goalscorer has to be a priority after the defeat in Bilbao. For the 15th time this season, or the 11th time in the past 33 games, or the third time in a row – take your pick – United failed to find the net.

“It was clear we were the better team, then we managed not to score again,” said Amorim.

“There were some occasions this season where we didn’t create situations. This was not one of them.

Last week, when Amorim said “we have to be brave”, he meant the whole club.

But what are the specifics?

Rasmus Hojlund has been described as “a Championship player” by someone who was part of the dressing room during Sir Alex Ferguson’s latter days. It is a brutal takedown. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it is wrong.

Mason Mount spoke eloquently in the build-up to the game but was anonymous in northern Spain. Amad Diallo threatened but his end product was lacking. There was a huge slice of fortune for Tottenham’s winner. But, once they had the lead, they never truly looked like losing it.

“I am always honest with you guys,” said Amorim. “Tonight, we need to deal with pain of losing this match.”

His first task is Sunday’s meeting with Champions League-chasing Aston Villa and then, after that, two matches in Asia – to generate around £10m in income – which United’s players couldn’t be looking forward to any less.

Leading fan groups threatened to protest around the Villa game well before this latest body blow to club morale.

Amorim must get his players to put on a united front, visually and emotionally.

It was noticeable that as Tottenham celebrated their victory, United’s players, almost to a man, were alone with their thoughts.

Andre Onana sat in his penalty area, Harry Maguire was further upfield, Alejandro Garnacho was inconsolable close to the halfway line.

Amorim was pacing up and down, as he does, looking at the ground.

The backing remains. But for how long?

Amorim has won six games in the Premier League. Half of those victories came against the teams who got relegated.

There are echoes of 2021-22, a campaign they started under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in a far healthier state than they are in now.

But because they lost the 2021 Europa League final – on penalties to Villarreal – the Norwegian had no buffer to protect him when results turned in a disastrous five-week spell from the middle of October.

Amorim has decisions to make. Some are tougher than others.

Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen will surely go after Sunday as their contracts expire on 30 June. Garnacho future is the subject of debate. The same is true of Kobbie Mainoo. Bruno Fernandes has been targeted by the Saudi Pro League even if United’s stance is that they have no intention of selling.

But, across the squad, how many would Amorim slap a ‘not for sale’ sign on? Not many, I would wager.

He knows he cannot get rid of 20 players and bring in another 20 more attuned to his preferred style, so he must rely on quite a few of those he needed in Bilbao.