Former Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo defended current boss Ruben Amorim, insisting that struggles so far have been out of his control.
Despite stringing together three straight wins prior to this weekend’s draw with Nottingham Forest, Man Utd have been searching for consistency and success. Amorim took over mid-season last year and took United to their worst finish in Premier League history. That 15th-place was compounded with a loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.
The Red Devils invested heavily, particularly in attack, over the summer. While there have been some positive signs, it has not been a campaign without its difficulties, especially in the Carabao Cup. Ronaldo, speaking with Piers Morgan, took some of the pressure off his fellow countryman.
“He’s [doing] his best. What’s he going to do? Miracles? Miracles [are] impossible. We say in Portugal, ‘Miracles [are] only in Fatima.’ He’s not going to do miracles. Even the players. Manchester United have good players, but they don’t have, some of them, in their minds what Manchester United is,” Ronaldo said.
Ronaldo Criticises Lack of Youth at Man Utd
Instead of criticising the manager further, Ronaldo called out bigger decision makers at the club and the lack of youth currently in the squad.
“You have to follow intelligent, smart people to create a base for the future as Manchester United have so many years ago. Nicky Butt, Gary [Neville], Roy Keane, [David] Beckham. They become big players, but they had youth,” Ronaldo said.
“Manchester United, right now, they don’t have a structure. I hope that changes in the future. Present, future because the potential of the club is amazing. It’s one of the most important clubs of the century.”
The Portuguese forward revealed that he still follows the club and results because Man Utd is “still in his heart,” but stressed the need for honesty when discussing its current state.
Man Utd have an average squad age of 25.4 years, per Transfermarkt. Though, most of their current starters have been signed in the last five years. Their 88-year record for selecting a homegrown player is still intact, but Ronaldo recognises the current iteration is much different from the side he used to play for under Sir Alex Ferguson.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cristiano Ronaldo Offers Honest Assessment of Ruben Amorim, Man Utd.