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Wayne Rooney had said Ruben Amorim needed to look at dragging Manchester United up the table before considering future titles.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim (AP)
Ruben Amorim didn’t take too kindly to Wayne Rooney’s bold comments about him after Manchester United‘s FA Cup exit on Sunday. The Red Devils legend labelled the Portuguese manager a ‘little naive’ to make a statement about restoring the club to the top of the Premier League. Rooney’s comments were put to Amorim during a post-match conference after their loss to Fulham on March 2. The ex-Sporting Lisbon coach was asked if talking about winning the league title was realistic. “That is the goal,” he responded, as per talkSPORT. “Being naive is to think that we are going to do it this season or going to be the best contender for the next season,” he added.
Ruben Amorim further clarified his initial claims in the press conference after the FA Cup exit at Old Trafford. “Our goal is to win the Premier League. Maybe it is not with me. But our goal, as a club, the board, is winning the Premier League like we did in the past, with all the great glories and the legends of this club,” he said.
“We want to do better, and we know that we are in a difficult moment. And I’m not naive. That’s why I’m here coaching at 40-year-old Manchester United,” Amorim concluded.
Wayne Rooney had earlier opined that Ruben Amorim needed to look at dragging the club up the table before considering future titles. “He says winning the Premier League, how can they compete? To get further up the table, I think that’s the next step for them,” Rooney told the BBC. “I think it’s a little naive to say they’re looking to win the Premier League because from where they are now, they’re a long way off that,” the England legend added.
Manchester United failed to defend their FA Cup crown, losing to Fulham on penalties in the tournament’s fifth round. After a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes of play, Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno made two crucial penalty saves. He denied Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee from the spot to secure a win on March 2. The Europa League is now Manchester United’s only hope of securing silverware in the 2024/25 season. Despite the poor display, Ruben Amorim refused to be overly downbeat about the result. The 40-year-old instead declared he hoped to return his team to Premier League glory.
Manchester United will next play La Liga outfit Real Sociedad in the Round of 16 phase of the Europa League. The match will be played at the Reale Arena on Thursday, March 6.
