The pope could not convince me to change—Amorim

Following the Manchester derby loss at Etihad Stadium, the club has had another tumultuous week. On Thursday, minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe arrived at the Carrington training base in his helicopter.

According to United officials, the visit was “pre-planned” and not an emergency summit.

When asked to describe what had been discussed, Amorim undoubtedly took a light-hearted approach. “He was offering me a new contract,” the former Sporting manager, whose team has only won one of four Premier League games this season and been eliminated from the EFL Cup by League Two Grimsby, laughed.

When the topic shifted to the more serious issue of whether Ratcliffe had indicated he could want to change the 3-4-2-1 configuration that Amorim is obstinately refusing to change in the face of intense criticism, he even managed to crack a joke.

He responded, “No, no, no.” “No one. The Pope will not alter either.

“This is what I do. I am accountable for this. This is my life. Therefore, I shall not alter that.

Speaking before Chelsea’s visit to Old Trafford, Amorim says he understands the urgent need to win games. Amorim is aware that the games against Chelsea, Brentford, and recently promoted Sunderland have the power to alter the perception of him, even though United authorities have rejected the notion that he needs the three games until next month’s international break to keep his job.

When £62.5 million forward Matheus Cunha returns from injury, captain Bruno Fernandes is probably going to start in a deeper midfield role against Chelsea.

The 31-year-old should be moved higher up the pitch because of Fernandes’ inability to track Phil Foden’s run into the United penalty area in the lead-up to the first goal against City. Last month, he made a similar mistake that let Emile Smith Rowe equalise for Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Amorim already gave an explanation of why he believes Fernandes can perform better in the middle of his midfield.

He stated, “In order to try to control the game, I want Bruno to have more possession.”

“He may not have as much leeway to enter the box, but he is making progress and is able to take his shots.

“We occasionally miss Bruno in front, but we have an extra player when Cunha is here.

“I see Bruno well, and I am just trying to picture the game and balance the team.

“He wants to go farther occasionally, but he is frustrated that he is not winning. However, he has work to do.

In a rare interview, Jason Wilcox, the football director, talked about the “challenges” he has faced at the club since joining in April 2024.

In a Q&A posted by the Man Utd The Religion YouTube channel, the 54-year-old stated that he “felt the club was in a much better condition than it was” and that “the whole structure of Manchester United needs to change” during his speech at the Association of Former Manchester United Players on Thursday night.

“I hope we have the chance to make a change. In my opinion, the question is not “Will we win again?” but rather “When will we win again?” he continued.