Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has just overseen the club’s worst-ever Premier League finish, but the man responsible tasked with ‘bringing the glory days again’ gave an admittedly inspiring motivational speech to close out the campaign.
Although former head coach ten Hag may have started the season in charge, his Portuguese successor brought an end to it that couldn’t have come sooner for supporters, who were treated to a rare win at Old Trafford this year as they won their last Premier League fixture of 2024/25 against Aston Villa 2-0.
Ruben’s Red Devils managed just 11 wins in the competition, and following the crushing blow that was the Europa League final, most fans just wanted it all to be over with.
However, as is often the case with football, a passionate speech by their gaffer was more than enough to get many of those who had their heads down ready and raring to go again next season, with Amorim addressing the crowd directly from the pitch after the full-time whistle.
The 40-year-old began by apologising for what he went on to dub a “disaster season”, acknowledging that he understands how “disappointed” fans have felt throughout his tenure thus far – especially following the collective heartbreak of the final – before going on to thank them for their faith and loyalty.
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But it was one particular line that seemed to stir a fair amount of determination up in the stands, among those watching at home, and presumably within the players stood clapping from the centre-circle behind him: “The good days are coming.”
Reflecting his warning of the impending “storm” when he arrived at the club and alluding to the club’s long history of making it through much tougher times, such as the Munich Air Disaster, he urged those looking on not to get “stuck in the past” and fight amongst each other but to “move forward.”
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He also took a moment to apologise to his own players, adding: “I want to say sorry also to my players; sometimes I was not fair, but I always try to be honest with you guys.”
Whether or not this particular part of the speech was an attempt to get some squad members back on side who may or may not be looking to move elsewhere (i.e. reportedly unhappy Alejandro Garnacho, loanee Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, etc.), only time will tell.
One thing we do know is that the passionate and candid address got most of those inside Old Trafford, not to mention fans watching around Greater Manchester and beyond, up for the challenge.
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Finishing 15th on just 42 points may be their lowest-ever tally in the first division’s modern era, but you can guarantee that everyone around the club will be hoping it will prove to be little more than an outlier. The storm before the calm, even.
Amad Diallo himself, who has proved to be one of the few shining lights donning the famous shirt over the past year or so, already took to social media to write in a post: “I promise you that a season like this will never happen again at this great club.”
What about you, Reds – do you think he is the man who can turn things around? You can hear Ruben Amorim’s end-of-season speech in full down below.
Ruben rousing the Reds for a return to the ‘good days’.
Featured Images — MUTV (screenshots via YouTube)/Manchester United (via X)
Sport
Tickets go live as opening date is announced for Manchester City’s new ‘immersive’ museum experience
Emily Sergeant
Tickets to visit Manchester City’s new ‘immersive’ museum experience have officially gone live ahead of the grand opening.
Set to open in the heart of the £300m Medlock Square entertainment district at Manchester’s Etihad Campus next month, the Manchester City Museum Experience will be spread across 10 distinctive spaces – with visitors invited to take a trip down memory lane with nostalgic environments from throughout the club’s history.
Fans will also be able to take part in interactive media experiences, like posing with all 48 major trophies won by the club’s first teams or trying their hand at football punditry.
The experience will combine the latest immersive technology with physical memorabilia drawn from across the club’s history to do this.
Hidden details and surprising ‘did you know’ facts are set to be embedded across the experience, so that even the most devoted Man City fans will have the chance to discover something new about the club they love.
By combining interactive environments, technology, and authentic artefacts, the experience is aiming to appeal to a wide audience – from lifelong Manchester City supporters, to families and those with a broader interest in football, culture, and the city of Manchester.
“The Museum Experience has been designed as a destination that goes beyond just the pitch,” commented Jeremy Maxton, who is the Director of Visitor Attractions at Manchester City Football Club.
Manchester City releases CGIs and important details of its new ‘immersive’ museum / Credit: Manchester City / Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)
“Whether you’re a lifelong supporter, visiting Manchester for a weekend, or simply looking for a unique day out, we’ve created an experience that offers something for everyone.
“From the recreated environments and original memorabilia to the interactive elements, there are different ways into the Club’s history throughout the Museum.
“We’ve also built in space for new stories to be added over time, so the experience can continue to evolve. It’s been a huge project to bring together and we’re looking forward to people seeing it for themselves later this year.”
The Manchester City Museum Experience officially opens on 14 December, and you can now book tickets to visit from that date here.
Featured Image – Credit: Manchester City / Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)
Sport
Details released of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners while Mayor
Emily Sergeant
Details of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners during his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester have been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed on the situation a little first, Manchester City was found guilty back in September all of its charges related to the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, and on top of that, was also found guilty of the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.
According to the Premier League, the independent Commission found that Manchester City had arranged so-called ‘sham’ commercial deals with a number of its sponsors.
These were part of a disguised funding scheme – with those sponsors only required to pay a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees.
The remainder was then funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club.
The Commission also concluded, as quoted by the Premier League, that the club had ‘made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the Premier League investigation’.
Within the past week or so, it has since come to light that now-Prime Minister Andy Burnham had dealings with Manchester City during his tenure as Greater Manchester Mayor, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has now issued a public statement, giving details on the matter and what these ‘dealings’ entailed.
A spokesperson for GMCA confirmed that Burnham had a ‘formal meeting’ with Man City Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, back in October 2021.
The statement reads in full: “In October 2021, Andy Burnham, in his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.
“In his capacity as Mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City FC at home matches on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the Chairman informally in the stands. These have been declared in the usual way.
“Also during his time as Mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of Mayoral international visits.
“This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan.”
Featured Image – Lauren Hurley / Number 10 Downing Street (Press Image via Flickr)