Manchester United (Man U) is trusting the leadership of coach Ruben Amorim (40).

The team led by Amorim drew 1-1 against Fulham at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, on the 3rd (Korean time) in the fifth round (round of 16) of the 2024-2025 England Football Association (FA) Cup and lost 3-4 in the penalty shootout.

As a result, the possibility that Man U will end the season trophyless has increased. Man U's hopes for advancement to the quarterfinals of the EFL Cup have also been dashed. This is another setback for Man U, which has fallen to 14th place in the league.

Now, Man U is left with only the challenge for the UEFA Europa League (UEL) title. How they perform in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 against Real Sociedad on the 7th has become even more crucial.

Man U, which started the season under coach Erik Ten Hag, has brought in Portuguese coach Amorim amid continued difficulties. The plan was to stabilize the club and begin rebuilding the team.

However, Man U appears to be falling into an even worse situation. Under Amorim's leadership, the team has played a total of 24 matches but has only achieved 10 wins (5 draws and 9 losses). The expectations for Amorim, who was successful at Sporting CP, are gradually turning into disappointment.

Naturally, the pressure on Amorim has increased. Some European media have reported shockingly that Man U could dismiss Amorim if the team continues to lose or fails to win the Europa League.

According to the British outlet 'GiveMeSport', the actual atmosphere within Man U is different from what the media depicts. The club has already made a firm decision regarding Amorim.

The outlet noted, "Even if short-term results do not improve, we continue to trust Amorim," adding, "This indicates that Man U believes Amorim can sufficiently rebound the club."

Man U believes that Amorim already proved his abilities at Sporting before coming to England. In fact, Amorim led Sporting to two league titles (2020-2021, 2023-2024) and also secured two League Cups (2020-2021, 2021-2022).

Amorim is regarded as one of the most promising young managers in Europe. Therefore, Man U believes, "If given more time and the right players are brought in, he will surely succeed."

Because of this, interest in Man U's movements this summer is already rising. Given the assessment that the squad does not suit Man U, significant departures and signings are expected to support Amorim.

After being eliminated from the FA Cup, Amorim stated in an interview with the British 'BBC', "The goal is to win the Premier League. We are continuing to lose, but our goal is to win the league again," adding, "I don't know how long it will take to achieve that goal, but we will continue to move forward."

In response, Man U legend Wayne Rooney remarked, "Considering the current position, talking about winning the Premier League is somewhat naive," implying that the team is far from competing for the title at this time.

Amorim pointed out, "The naive thing is thinking that we will do that this season or that we will be candidates for the title next season," in response to Rooney's comments.

He continued, "These days, everyone knows. I know it too. It is really easy to say. I also worked as a football commentator after finishing my playing career. I know how easy it is to say that," taking a jab at Rooney.

Amorim emphasized, "Our goal is to win the Premier League. Whether it is me or not, the club and the board aim to win the Premier League together with all the great glory of this club and its legends, as it has been in the past."

He also added, "We want to do better, and we know we are in a difficult moment. I am not naive," expressing confidence that, "This is why I am the manager of Man U at 40 years old."

[OSEN]