Ruben Amorim said the right things in his end-of-season manager’s address to Manchester United fans from the centre circle at Old Trafford.
As promised, he apologised for a “disaster” of a season and he assured supporters that, after predicting at the end of his first week as Erik ten Hag’s replacement a “storm was coming”, he now thinks “the good days are coming”.
But he said something else at the end of the 2-0 victory over Aston Villa that might not easily become reality.
“Now we have to make a choice or we stay stuck in the past,” he said.
“We either fight each other or we stick together and move forward.”
Amorim and his players had not completed their lap of appreciation before another rendition of ‘We want Glazers out’ rolled round the stadium.
That was an acceptable chant. For half an hour from 3pm there had been far more coarse, vicious and threatening songs sung about the American family, who have owned United since 2005.
The debt they loaded against United to complete their leveraged takeover – and the huge sums spent to service it since – are being highlighted with extra vehemence now, as reasons are sought to explain what turned out to be a 15th-placed finish and what is accepted to be the club’s worst campaign since the 1973-74 relegation season.
