Ruben Amorim launched a blistering attack on his Manchester United players after they suffered a humiliating 1-0 friendly defeat to an ASEAN All-Star XI in Kuala Lumpur. The Portuguese manager accused the team of lacking the mental fortitude to handle pressure, stating that they 'choke in every game'.
The loss at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium came just days after United ended their worst-ever Premier League campaign in 15th place and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham. Despite fielding a strong side with several first-team regulars, they were undone by a second-half goal from Maung Maung Lwin, allowing a hastily assembled regional selection to claim the Maybank Challenge Cup.
Amorim did not mince his words in the post-match press conference. 'We don't have it in us not to choke in every exercise, in every game, that is what happened,' he said. 'We should win these kind of games, no matter what. We need to bring that inside of us in every game.' He added that the result was 'disappointing' but noted the difficult pitch conditions and stressed the importance of avoiding injuries.
The 39-year-old admitted feeling 'always guilty' for the team's performances and welcomed the jeers from supporters at full-time. 'The boos from the fans, I think it's something that we need,' he said. 'Every game that we lost in the Premier League they were always there cheering us. So it's like the way of playing. If they see that it's not working, they will change the way they behave.'
United have now travelled to Hong Kong, where they will conclude their short post-season tour with a match against a Hong Kong XI on Friday. Amorim will hope for a response from his squad before they head into what promises to be a pivotal summer transfer window.
