Sunday should have been a day to savour for Manchester United fans. Old Trafford was lit up by glorious sunshine, the stadium had just enjoyed one of its best occasions in recent memory in the comeback win over Athletic Club and everyone was looking forward to the Europa League final. What's more, in front of United were a team they had not lost at home to in 18 years and who have had an even worse season than them.
But West Ham had too much for the Red Devils, and it looked as if was all too much for Ruben Amorim, who did not try to hide his contempt for United's players in a frank and damning post-match press conference. After speaking his mind to a surprising degree in his first few weeks as manager, from calling his team the worst in the club's history and making jaw-dropping remarks about Antony and Marcus Rashford, there was a sense in recent weeks that Amorim had mellowed. His conversations with the media had become normal affairs rather than box-office events. But on Sunday, he was mad as Hell and he wasn't going to take it any more.
In a breathless display, Amorim took aim at his players for not showing enough urgency to defend their box or when attacking. He declared that United had lost the sense that they were a big club as they were so ready to accept defeat. He urged the club to be "really strong, be brave in the summer", which was a thinly-veiled plea to Sir Jim Ratcliffe to let him overhaul the squad. And he warned that if things did not improve next season he might have to quit. That is, if he is not sacked first.
The tirade begged the question: Is Amorim capable of succeeding at United or will he be gone by the end of the year and become the seventh managerial casualty of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era?
