Taking hard decisions in middle of the season 'a danger', says Amorim

Ruben Amorim has stated that opting to take difficult decisions midway through the season can be dangerous, especially for a new manager, yet he feels Manchester United will benefit in the future.

Speaking on Thursday during the press conference ahead of the Emirates FA Cup match against Leicester City, the Portuguese manager was questioned about the lack of players brought into the team and the fact that it may be difficult to turn things around in the league this season.

During the January transfer window, United offloaded Marcus Rashford, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia, sending the trio out on loan. While all of them have either struggled since their arrival or have not been in Amorim's squad of late, this decision to let them go has left United pretty light in terms of squad size, especially up front.

"I think it is a moment that is hard to turn things around in a few games. It's going to be like that, really hard until the end of the season," Amorim said.

"Then we are taking that risk that you talk about because we want a different thing in our team and we want different profiles. That is my area. It was my decision to do that. Like I said, we are taking some risks, but it's the way we want to proceed. We want to win some games. We can improve our team, we will have time to train because I was always complaining about the [lack of] time to train," he added.

He remarked that now that the team has time to train, it will improve. Amorim also said that he wants a "certain type of players" with a "different profile," and the club is "changing right away."

During January, United confirmed the signings of Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven from Lecce and Arsenal, respectively. Diego Leon's move to the club was also confirmed, with him set to join next season.

Amorim was subsequently asked whether his start to life at United, particularly the shambolic home form that has seen the team lose five games at Old Trafford under his management, will lead to him facing increased pressure and scrutiny.

The United manager was in agreement, yet pointed out that it also makes his job exciting.

"Yeah, that is clear. It is also exciting! I know when I choose this profession that you have the risk of the results and I already knew when I came here, I look at the schedule, I look at the team and I understood that my decision of changing everything, taking these hard decisions in the middle of the season without new signings, it's a danger for the coach," he explained.

"But since day one, with good results or bad results, I have a clear idea of what I want to do and I take these risks because, in the end, I think it's going to pay off in the end," he continued.

However, he said that he is "not naive," and that he has already said it multiple times that football is a "sport of results and we [United] are in a difficult situation."

United were severely limited in their spending during the January window, prompting United to make a number of difficult decisions. This has been evident through the choices INEOS have made, as well as Amorim not being as backed as he maybe would have expected in January.

However, there are several reports that the departures of a number of high-profile players could help them with Profit and Sustainability Regulations, allowing them to spend more in the summer, mainly to get the profile of players that Amorim really wants.

Despite this, Amorim will still want results to improve, especially to make sure the leadership at the club fully backs him. Maybe a trophy, possibly the FA Cup or the UEFA Europa League, could be the piece of silverware that helps him get the positive mood back at the club.