Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has responded to comments made by club legend Wayne Rooney following the team’s exit from the FA Cup.
Amorim’s Reds and current cup holders under his predecessor, Erik ten Hag, dropped out of this year’s tournament to Fulham on penalties after a fairly low-quality 90 minutes and an even more exhausting extra time for both sets of fans.
The Portuguese coach had no trouble accepting that his side wasn’t up to the level on Sunday evening, as he has since he arrived, but insisted in his post-match interviews that Man United‘s overall goal is to win the Premier League.
However, reacting to the fame in the gantry after the game, ex-player and former all-time leading England goalscorer Wayne Rooney remarked that “little bit naive” to suggest they can challenge for the title any time soon. Here’s exactly what he had to say:
Do you agree with Rooney – is Amorim being naive?
While neither party actually gave a timeline as to when they expect Man United to realistically compete for a Premier League title, there seemed to be an agreement in the studio that the new manager might be thinking a little too far ahead this very moment.
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For context, as well as having now conceded their trophy win from last season in a game that most supporters would have felt they should be winning (especially as the holders playing at home), the Red Devils currently sit 14th on 33 points in the Premier League table with a negative goal difference of six.
In contrast, league leaders Liverpool – also still adjusting to life under a new manager, though doing so much better – have just over double that amount of points after 28 games and even though Man City have had a bit of a rollercoaster time of late themselves, they’re still fourth and not far off second.
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Nevertheless, the boss didn’t just sit there and take ‘Wazza‘s remarks lightly, choosing instead to provide a bit of perspective from one football manager to another.
Delivering a fairly calm but somewhat barbed response to Rooney, Amorim shrugged off the suggestion that he’s being naive when it comes to his new home, clarifying that while it would be foolish to expect fast results this year or even be “the best contender” in the coming campaign, it is their ultimate goal.
"I'm not naive, that's why I'm coaching Manchester United at 40 years old" 👀
Ruben Amorim responds to Wayne Rooney saying it's naive for him to say his goal is to win the Premier League 🏆 pic.twitter.com/YZ3GWkGcP6
To put it in footballing terms, you could argue Amorim left a bit of a boot in on Rooney, who was sacked by Birmingham City after just 15 games in charge and Plymouth after just seven months in the dugout.
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Even prior to these two less-than-fortunate spells, the only other two jobs on the 39-year-old’s CV are his time at Derby County and DC United in the MLS, at which he failed to make any real impact at either.
Meanwhile, Amorim has won Liga Portugal twice, their domestic league cup three times at two different clubs and the Portuguese Super Cup once since his first coaching job at Casa Pia in his home country’s third tier in 218 – again, all at the age of 40, as he was keen to point out.
He also went on to quip, “Everybody knows everything”, adding that he was also a pundit when he finished his career and it is “easy” to comment from his/their position, going on to reinforce that the goal, however premature or long term it might feel, is to win the league.
Amorim has reiterated that he is “not naive” on multiple occasions already since joining the club and whatever Rooney or anyone else thinks, he appears to be remaining steadfast. You can listen to Ruben Amorim’s post-match press conference in full HERE and see the highlights from the game down below:
If you had three words to sum up this current United team, what would they be? Let us know in the comments.
Rowetta calls on Bez to not ‘let her down’ following Shaun Ryder allegations
Danny Jones
Ex-Happy Mondays singer Rowetta is imploring her fellow bandmate and long-time friend Bez to rally by her side after making a number of claims about frontman Shaun Ryder.
Speaking out for the first time back on 26 February, the 59-year-old screenshotted an old NME headline touching on a previous split, where they wrote about a “tussle” on a ferry to Ireland before Dublin’s Witness Festival 2000.
Having posted a series of messages on her X account since then, Rowetta has gone on to make more specific claims that Shaun Ryder not only assaulted her but even rendered her unconscious.
Rowetta left the band once again back in December of last year without offering much detail on the situation. The Manc music icon is continuing to both thank as well as share her own messages of support to victims of domestic violence and remains steadfast in her allegations.
Imagine if it was your Mother, your daughter, your sister, your loved one.
If you punch a woman, be man enough to admit it and apologise to my children.
Clarifying what reportedly happened two and half decades ago, Rowetta said on social media: “When I speak about Happy Mondays it will always be true. I’m not a liar.
“Shaun Ryder punched me, knocked me out […] there were lots of witnesses and my son had to see me with a black eye! Don’t call me a liar threatening with defamation! Should have called the cops!”
Nevertheless, this hasn’t stopped the Crumpsall native from reiterating her claims, writing in a subsequent post: “Everybody stop saying I’m lying. I’m speaking to my lawyer this afternoon. I have witnesses, photos and press.
“It’s not a new story. He didn’t deny it when it happened. Ask Bez why he didn’t go on stage [at Dublin’s Witness Fest 25 years ago].” Many people online have taken issue with how the story has been reported by some outlets so far too:
Just another sloppy unsubstantiated article . Fact check atleast
Crucially, it seems Rowetta is banking on her Bez – real name Mark Berry – to back up her claims as the case unfolds, addressing him directly in her most recent post: “Anyone who knows my kids knows they would never lie.
“I do hope Bez doesn’t let my kids down. I’ve always been there for him and his”, she went on to add. Her children, now in their 40s, have also expressed their shock at Ryder‘s denial.
Rowetta also shed some light on the most recent tour before leaving after 34 years, claiming that she stayed on a “16-bed bus on the last tour with mainly men [she] didn’t know, while Bez and his dogs, Neetsy and her merchandise-selling boyfriend, and Shaun + 1 stayed in luxury hotels.”
Although it’s hard to confirm details at this stage, it seems some have already made their minds up, with one user commenting: “It’s time for all the band to move on from Shaun Ryder, after listening to the Paul Ryder podcast, it highlights what a nasty self-centred bully he is. No doubt more skeletons in his closet.”
Mancunian has now become the UK’s ‘most desired’ accent
Emily Sergeant
Mancunian has now taken the crown as the ‘most desired’ accent in the UK, according to a new analysis.
You may remember that in recent years, the findings from two separate shocking surveys revealed that the Manchester accent is considered to be one of the ‘least respected’ nationwide, especially within the corporate world of work, and that northerners with strong accents are considered ‘less intelligent’ than their southern counterparts.
But now it seems like the tides have shifted slightly.
That’s because a new analysis by The Hearing Care Partnership revealing which regional voices are ‘turning heads’ in 2025 has seen Manchester take the top spot.
Last year in the hearing care company’s study, Essex topped the list as the UK’s most desired accent, but in 2025, Manchester came up to first place with a huge 127% increase in searches, pushing Essex down to the second spot.
Mancunian has now become the UK’s ‘most desired’ accent / Credit: Simon Emmett
The company claims the long-awaited Oasis reunion could be the ‘driving force’ behind the nation’s new curiosity towards Manchester’s tone.
“It’s interesting to see how the Manchester accent has become popular all of a sudden,” Ashish Shah, who is an audiologist at The Hearing Care Partnership, commented on the findings.
“Cultural events can really change how people feel about certain accents, and Manchester’s up-and-coming vibrant music scene, lively nightlife, and sports achievements might explain why so many people are interested in it now.
“Last year, Manchester wasn’t even in the top five, so jumping to number one with a 127% increase is really impressive.”
Top 10 ‘most desired’ UK accents
Manchester
Essex
Welsh
Yorkshire
Geordie
Cockney
Scouse
Birmingham
Scottish
Irish
Elsewhere on the list, it appears that regional accents across the UK have seen noticeable shifts.
The Welsh accent now ranks thirdon the list with a 24% increase in searches – a surge that could be linked to the hit BBC series The Traitors, where contestant Charlotte deliberately spoke in a Welsh accent as she believed it to be one of the most trustworthy.
Yorkshire’s unique sound has also seen an 18% boost this year, which is a major shift from 2024 when it was one of the least desirable, and the Geordie accent has also remained a favourite with a 17% increase in interest.
Danny Jones -
3rd March 2025 
