Ruben Amorim given blunt ultimatum from ex-Man Utd star: 'No more excuses'

Ruben Amorim has been told he will have "no more excuses" come next season at Manchester United after enjoying a transfer window and a pre-season.

The Portuguese boss arrived in November last year to replace Erik ten Hag, but failed to enjoy any new manager bounce and, if anything, took the team backwards as they tabled their worst ever Premier League finish, ending up in 15th.

It means there's no European football at Old Trafford but, throughout the dismal run of results, there was always those highlighted that Amorim had not enjoyed prolonged time with his players on the training pitch and was working with a squad he'd inherited.

Those frustrations were magnified by the fact Amorim played a unique 3-4-3 system, which he didn't have the players to do, yet stuck to his beliefs anyway. Ashley Young insists now is the time for the manager to lay down an early marker to prove he is the man to take the club forward.

All the excuses that were used last term are no longer applicable and the ex-United man wants to see marked improvement on last year.

He told Sky Sports: "I think Ruben Amorim has got his way, his style of coaching, his tactics and the way he wants to set-up. He didn't want to come in when he did, he wanted to come in at the start of the season. So it was going to be tough either way, when you come in halfway through a season it is a tough ask.

"I think it has been said you'll have to give him time, how many transfer window? Who knows. You've got to set your marker as soon as you start this season. I don't think anyone can give him anymore excuses, it is now or never. He's got to have a good pre-season, workout what his best team is, what players fit into the system. Unless he's going to change, but you can't see him change the formation."

The frustration for Amorim will be the lack of players he's got through the door thus far. Only Matheus Cunha has been signed with the impressive Brazilian joining from Wolves. The club have since turned their attention to Bryan Mbeumo but have seen a number of bids turned down by Brentford.

They begin their Premier League campaign with a heavyweight clash against Arsenal on August 17 and Amorim will hope to have more new arrivals to pick from with the deficiencies in his squad continually exposed throughout the last campaign.

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