Former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has reignited his war of words with the club’s legendary former players, accusing them of judging the team based on standards from a different era.
Amorim, who is now in charge of AC Milan, said former United stars who regularly criticise the club do not always understand the realities of modern football or have access to all the information surrounding the team.
The Portuguese manager endured a difficult spell at Old Trafford before his departure, recording 24 wins in 63 matches across all competitions and overseeing one of the club’s worst Premier League finishes.
His struggles attracted criticism from United legends including Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, who had been part of the club’s highly successful era under former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Speaking about managing a historic club where former players often have strong opinions, Amorim said: “I was in a club [Manchester United] in the past with a lot of legends, and they have big opinions, and they talk a lot about things.
“They lived in a time that was completely different.”
Amorim had previously defended himself against criticism from United legends, arguing that some of them viewed the current club through the standards of the Ferguson era.
“I think it’s normal. I think it’s a fact that me, as a manager of Manchester United, I think we are underachieving. We should have more points, especially this season. So I take that naturally,” he had said.
“Sometimes they don’t have all the information and they see Manchester United with the standards that they lived here, always winning. So it’s hard for them to see their club in this situation.”
Scholes had previously questioned whether Amorim was the right manager for United, saying the Portuguese did not “get the club” before his eventual departure.
Amorim will now hope to put his troubled Manchester United spell behind him as he begins a new chapter with AC Milan, another European giant with a rich history and demanding supporters.