Ruben Amorim plays down Ratcliffe meeting, jokes about ‘new contract’ offer

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has dismissed speculation over his meeting with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe this week, joking that the visit was simply to offer him a “new contract.”

Ratcliffe, joined by chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, visited Carrington ahead of Sunday’s clash with Chelsea. With pressure mounting after a poor start to the season, Amorim insisted the talks were routine.

“New contract, he was offering me a new contract,” Amorim joked in his press conference.
“No, it was just normal things. He showed support, explained that this is a long-term project. I’ve had several meetings like this—it’s nothing unusual, though I know people pay more attention to it right now.”

United’s struggles have intensified scrutiny on Amorim. His side has managed just one win in four league games and suffered a humiliating Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby Town. A 3-0 derby defeat to Manchester City last weekend left them 14th in the table, narrowly above last season’s record-low finish.

Despite results, the 40-year-old remains optimistic about progress.
“Last year I was very critical of how we played. I think now we’re better until we reach the boxes, both defending and attacking. But inside the boxes, we need to be more aggressive and more clinical. That’s where we have to improve. Otherwise, the performances are improving.”

With a rare full week on the training ground, Amorim says preparations for Chelsea have focused on sharpening United’s edge at both ends.
“We used the time to analyse the City game, prepare for Chelsea, and work on different things. We’re playing well until we reach the boxes. Now we need to make it count.”