Manchester United boss Amorim defiant after derby defeat

• Ruben Amorim insisted he will not abandon his 3-4-3 system, saying if United want change they must “change the man.”
• The 3-0 defeat to Manchester City left him with just 8 wins from 31 league games since taking charge, intensifying pressure on his position.
• Amorim said his players gave their maximum and took full responsibility, adding: “It’s my fault, not their fault and I am fine with that.”

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim delivered a firm defence of his tactical approach after a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, insisting that if the club wants change, it will need to “change the man.”

United’s loss at the Etihad marked their third defeat of the season, with setbacks in both the Premier League and the Carabao Cup against League Two side Grimsby Town. Pep Guardiola’s team, ending their own two-game slump, cruised to victory, leaving Amorim under increasing scrutiny.

Since replacing Erik ten Hag last November, Amorim has won just 8 of his 31 league matches. Despite criticism of his unwavering use of a 3-4-3 formation, the Portuguese coach made clear he will not deviate from his philosophy.

“I won’t change my philosophy,” Amorim said. “If they [United hierarchy] want it changed, you change the man. I am not going to change my philosophy. I will play my way until I want to change. Guys, I understand [the questions] and I accept it is not a record you should have at Man United. But there are a lot of things that you have no idea about what happen in the last months.

“I understand everything. It is normal [if fans are losing faith], but I don’t accept that we are not doing better. We are doing better and the results don’t show that, the record says everything, I understand.

“My message is I will do everything. I will give everything. It is not my decision, the rest. I will do my best. I am suffering more than [the fans].”

United next face Club World Cup winners Chelsea at Old Trafford, with pressure mounting on Amorim to deliver results. Despite the challenges, he praised his squad’s commitment and said time is still needed to build foundations for success.

“We play against a coach that won six Premier League titles and we are building things, trying to fight against these teams,” Amorim said. “But I am not going to defend myself, it’s always the same question, trying to protect myself. We need to do better.

“If I look to the game, last year we drew and won against City and today we were a little bit better, but in the small details it was clearly not good enough.

“We are building things, but of course we need to win.

“I didn’t see one player in my team not giving the maximum. The rest is with me. The disappointment sometimes I feel we could run more, but I didn’t have that feeling today. It’s my fault, not their fault and I am fine with that.”