Ruben Amorim has no regrets about taking the Manchester United job in the middle of the season, despite admitting he had requested to start this summer.
United approach the Sporting CP head coach when they sacked Erik ten Hag and during discussions over the vacancy Amorim said he wanted to finish the season in Lisbon, before taking over at Old Trafford ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
His Sporting side were flying at the time, sitting top of the Primeira Liga and looking on course for a second consecutive league title, while they also swatted aside Manchester City 4-1 in the Champions League.
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But United were reluctant to go through the rest of the season with a caretaker manager and told Amorim it was now or never if he wanted the job. He accepted that ultimatum but it has been a chastening few months for the 40-year-old, who has just four wins from 14 Premier League games in charge, with United now 15th in the table.
He puts most of the problems he has encountered in changing system with a group of players not used to operating in a back three down to the challenges of taking on the job in the middle of the season, but he felt he couldn't say no when United came calling.
"I think that’s clear, it’s common sense," he said of the difficult run he has been on.
"When you start a season it’s completely different you feel things, have pre-season and time to change things you feel are necessary in a team and a squad, that is clear.
"That was the choice so I don’t want to talk about that. I had my reasons to ask for it and I have the most important reasons to accept the job. I knew it would be tough and a risk but it’s Manchester United and you can’t say no."
Amorim has endured a disastrous few months at Old Trafford, with results dropping United to the edge of a relegation scrap and pundits beginning to question his methods and his rigid adherence to his 3-4-2-1 system.
He admitted he is frustrated with how things have been going, but said he wasn't questioning his decision to leave Portugal and take on one of the biggest - and most challenging - jobs in world football.
"No. We make a decision and then we go all the way," he said. "Sometimes it’s frustrating and when you hear out loud 'four wins in 14 games for Manchester United', even in another club, it’s really frustrating and you get really frustrated and angry.
"But let’s move on and we can change that in the next game."
Amorim will find it difficult to overhaul his squad this summer as well, especially if United fail to win the FA Cup or Europa League, which is now their only route back into European football next season.
This week saw the release of their financial figures for the last three months of 2024 and they remain on the limit with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), while also owing other clubs almost £391million in transfer fees.
United had to sell to buy in January, with Patrick Dorgu the only new arrival for £25million, with the money freed up by the loan departures of Antony and Marcus Rashford making space in the budget. They will have to sell again in the summer and when asked if the situation had been made transparent to him during discussions with Ineos back in November, he was reluctant to offer up details of those talks.
"I don’t want to go that path. We are in the situation," he said. "The important thing is we’re together, we have a lot of things to solve as a staff.
"We have had a lot of changes in staff, you can feel it also. We have a lot of problems, we can’t make a resume of everything in the press conference. Let’s focus on Everton, just a win can change a lot of things and my focus is to win a game."
