Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones says he would like nothing more than to see Ruben Amorim thrive at Old Trafford, but is far from convinced.
Amorim remains under significant pressure at United – he’s second in the sack race – having picked up just 37 points in his 34 Premier League games in charge and faces the daunting task of Liverpool at Anfield as they return to action after the international break on Sunday.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe came out in support of Amorim during the international break, saying he wants to see the Portuguese prove himself at Old Trafford over three years, but Jones “doesn’t care what length of contract you’re on”.
“Do I want to see any manager or coach losing their job? No, especially with the route I want go down now. You need time to get your squad together,” he told the Daily Mail. “I like the fact Sir Jim Ratcliffe has come out and backed him, as you would expect. But it’s a results business. If you don’t get results, I don’t care what length of contract you’re on – 10 years, two years, five years – there will be questions and you will be looked at.
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“Sunderland (a 2-0 win before the international break) was probably the most complete performance I’ve seen from United this season in every department. But then you play Liverpool, your fierce rivals (on Sunday). If you don’t win there, you’ve got Brighton coming up and that’s not an easy game the way they’re playing at the minute.
“If you get a draw against Liverpool and then go and beat Brighton at home, you’ve gathered a bit of momentum and can they really kick on and use it as a catalyst to do something? How many times have we said that over the last six years? Would I like to see Amorim succeed, do really well in the back end of this season and maybe win a trophy? Of course. I’d love nothing more.”
Jones is now completing his coaching badges as he looks to go into management, and believes the physical and emotional turmoil he faced in his career will stand him in good stead.
“Absolutely,” Jones said. “The adversity I’ve gone through in my career, I definitely feel you’ve got to have rhino skin in this game. I think that will be advantageous for me.
“You can be the best manager in the world tactically, in possession, out of possession, cute little set-plays – and you have to have that by the way, especially at the highest level.
“But if players can’t relate to you these days, and they don’t feel they can interact with you… can you talk to them about something other than football? Does it always have to be football? Football, football, football.
“Some coaches or managers can’t put the board away. You have to learn to switch off and that’s a skill. To be able to switch off and come home to your kids and family and have that life balance.
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“If you only have the tactical side, well, you might get through the first year, but there’s no longevity to it because players will see straight through it and you have to have that relationship with players these days.
“Being a human being. A player needs to feel warmth. Take them on a journey if you’re explaining to them about a chance they missed, or a position they should have taken up on the pitch or a rotation that’s not worked.
“Don’t just say ‘you should have been here’. Take them on a journey why. ‘I did the same in this game’ or ‘in the 60th minute when you did that, brilliant, but what about that – do you think you could have been a bit more…?’ Don’t just throw them under the bus because you’ve lost the game.
“It’s too easy these days for managers to say ‘he’s not good enough’. Why’s he not good enough? It’s your job to make them good enough. That’s why you were brought in, to get the best out of them.
“To come in and say ‘he’s not for me’, I don’t buy that. Maybe after six months or a year. I get that, but not when you come in the door and go ‘he’s not for me, not good enough, won’t play in my team’. It’s your job to get him to that level.”
