“Tears were shed” – Ruben Amorim tells Man Utd players to “shape up or f**k off!” after Brighton defeat



Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim reportedly had his players in tears after the 3-1 defeat at home to Brighton over the weekend.

The Red Devils were really poor once again as their difficult season continued, with Brighton clearly the better side and deserving all three points from their trip to Old Trafford.

According to one well-placed Man Utd fan account, Amorim was absolutely furious with his players after the game, swearing and kicking chairs in the dressing room.

“The fans have to know – I travelled to Manchester to give them the opportunity, but they didn’t want me!” – Which Man Utd legend met with the club about becoming president?

The Portuguese tactician has been critical of his players in his public appearances at press conferences as well, saying this is one of the worst United teams ever, and that they need to suffer a bit of a “shock”.

So it could be that there’s some truth to this big claim being made here…

Ruben Amorim unleashed a rage in the dressing room after the Brighton defeat of biblical proportions! Tables were flipped over, chairs kicked and every player was made aware that they either shape up of fuck off! His temper was so bad tears were shed and players were silent!! ? pic.twitter.com/CRA8XsH77T

— UTD Menace (@UtdMenace) January 21, 2025

Amorim clearly isn’t particularly happy with the squad he’s inherited at United, and other managers have encountered similar struggles in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Jose Mourinho notably called Paul Pogba a “virus”, while Ralf Rangnick said the entire club needed “open heart surgery”.

Ruben Amorim losing patience at Manchester United

Brighton players celebrate winning at Old Trafford (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Amorim did a superb job at former club Sporting Lisbon, but life at United is proving a real struggle, with the club lingering worryingly close to the relegation zone.

MUFC are probably still too good to go down, but that’s still closer to their reality than a top four place, or challenging for the Premier League title as they’ll feel they should be.


 

Amorim has received some criticism for his negative comments about the team in the press, but perhaps this is just the kind of dressing-down these players need.

Amorim has a hugely challenging job on his hands, and it will be interesting to see if this reported outburst can get a reaction out of his players.