MANCHESTER, England: Ruben Amorim admits he has had to go through a process of adapting to the demands of the English Premier League (EPL) in his first year as Manchester United head coach.

The Portuguese coach arrived at Old Trafford in November 2024 and when Everton visit early next Tuesday morning, it will mark a year since his debut which ended in a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town.

Managing a club as big as United has a profound impact on anyone and Amorim is no exception.

“I think I’ve changed a lot as a coach,” the 40-year-old said in an interview with Premier League Productions . “I see a lot of things differently.

“I have an idea of ​​how to play, how to shape the game and I’ve changed that.”

The change has been evident since the arrival of Senne Lammens, when the new goalkeeper was given the freedom to make long passes when the situation required.

“Here, in the EPL, the focus is very much on data,” Amorim explained. “So you have to adapt the way you work.

“Of course you have your own style of play, but you have to adapt, understand when you need more possession, how we win corners to put pressure on the opponent, all that stuff.”

According to him, adjusting to the intensity of the EPL not only involves tactics, but also the off-field demands that come with the responsibility of managing a club with a global following as big as United.

“Last year, I felt constantly overwhelmed by the number of matches,” admitted Amorim. “I didn’t have time to calm down or realize my job not only on the field, but also off the field to motivate everyone.

“Last year I was too emotional because I was struggling with decisions. I always say change takes time, but I am the one responsible for managing everything and controlling my emotions better.”

United have also faced an unbalanced playing style this season, scoring the most goals in the first half (11), but also conceding the most in the second half (14). Amorim explained the reason.

“I think we lost intensity,” he said. “In a few games, we lost Casemiro to injury. Harry Maguire too.

“They are important players, not only in terms of play but also experience and dead ball situations, things that many people don’t pay attention to.

“We also lost momentum when we were ahead. We started thinking ‘don’t concede’, when the thinking should have been ‘we already have one goal, get another to end the match’.

“So it’s a mental thing but also a physical thing. We need to improve both.”

PARIS: The heated dispute between Kylian Mbappe and his former club, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), reached a French labor court on Tuesday for a tense trial in which the France captain is demanding 263 million euros, while the club is demanding 440 million euros.

Both parties presented a long list of claims along with the value of the losses.

PSG said their figure was partly based on a 300 million euro move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal that fell through after Mbappe rejected it in June 2023, and its impact.

Mbappe then joined Real Madrid on a free transfer when his contract expired the following summer.

“We are indeed demanding 440 million euros,” Renaud Semerdjian, one of seven lawyers representing PSG, told AFP after the hearing.

Semerdjian said the amount included lost transfer revenue, compensation for damage to the club’s image and the alleged breach of contract PSG made with Mbappe after he rejected a move to Saudi Arabia.

Mbappe, who was not present but was represented by four lawyers, insisted he never agreed to forgo any payments from the club in 2023.

The 26-year-old striker first filed a complaint in June about PSG’s treatment of him at the start of the 2023-24 season.

Mbappe claims he was sidelined by the Qatari club and forced to train with players the club wanted to release after rejecting new contracts.

The practice was so widespread that the French players’ union filed a complaint last year.

Mbappe was not invited to join PSG’s pre-season tour of Asia in 2023 and missed the first match of that season, but was later recalled after negotiations with the club.

He also claimed PSG applied the wrong French legal classification to his contract.

After seven seasons with PSG, Mbappe joined Real Madrid with an annual salary reported to be 30 million euros.

He scored 256 goals in 308 games for PSG, but the club won the Champions League for the first time last season after the striker’s departure.

The tribunal is expected to take several weeks to reach a decision, which is expected to be announced on December 16.

BARCELONA: Barcelona fans’ desire to see club legend Lionel Messi back with the Catalan squad has been described as ‘unrealistic’, club president Joan Laporta has said.

The 38-year-old Argentine star made a surprise appearance at the Camp Nou Stadium on Sunday and expressed his hope of returning to the club one day to ‘not just say goodbye as a player but something he has never done before’.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and Barcelona’s all-time top scorer left the club in 2021 after two decades of service, following serious financial problems that left Barca unable to retain his services.

“Out of deep respect for Messi, the club’s professional staff and the members of Barcelona, ​​I think it is inappropriate to make unrealistic speculations. It is not appropriate,” Laporta told Catalunya Radio.

Laporta, who was also at the helm of the club when Messi left Barca, insisted he did not regret the decision because ‘Barcelona is above everything’.

Despite ruling out the possibility of Messi returning as a player, Laporta confirmed the club intends to hold a special tribute match to celebrate the Argentine star’s career once the Camp Nou stadium is fully renovated.

“The previous farewell didn’t go as we had hoped. If this tribute event can make up for what we didn’t get to do, I think it’s a good thing,” he said.

“Messi deserves the biggest honour in the world, and it would be wonderful if it were to happen in front of our 105,000 fans.”

Laporta also described the Inter Miami striker’s surprise visit to Camp Nou last Sunday as a spontaneous act that reflected his love for his old club.

LONDON: Cristiano Ronaldo insists Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim will not be able to perform miracles at a club he described as “structureless” and now losing direction.

In an interview with Piers Morgan on the Piers Morgan Uncensored show , Ronaldo once again launched a scathing attack on his former club, admitting he was “sad” to see the state of the team he considered one of the most important in the history of world football.

When asked about Amorim’s performance, who is currently leading United two points behind second place after 10 matches, Ronaldo gave a sarcastic answer.

“He has done his best. What more can be done? A miracle? A miracle is impossible.

“In Portugal, we say miracles only happen in Fatima… and he won’t perform a miracle.

“They have good players, but some of them don’t understand what Manchester United really means,” Ronaldo said.

United are currently in a phase of renewal after Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS took over the club’s football operations, appointing Jason Wilcox as director of football and focusing on signing young players such as Leny Yoro and Benjamin Sesko.

However, Ronaldo remains skeptical that the changes will bring back the Red Devils’ glory days in the near future.

“I’m sad because the club is one of the most important in the world and is still close to my heart for obvious reasons.

“But they need to follow wise people, who are able to build the foundation for the future like before.

“Right now they have no structure. I hope that will change because the potential of this club is incredible,” he said.

Ronaldo has previously criticised the club’s leadership and said United need to “rebuild everything” to return to the top.

Although his strained relationship with Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag is still fresh in his memory, Ronaldo insists he still loves his old club.

“Of course I still see their results. Of course I feel sad when I see their performance.

“I’ve won the Champions League, the Ballon d’Or, and more than 10 trophies there. United is still in my heart.

“But you have to be honest, they are not on the right track. For me, it is not just the fault of the coach or the players,” he said.

MANCHESTER, England: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim described his first year at Old Trafford as a journey full of twists and turns, but remains proud of sticking to his principles as the club begins to show signs of revival.

After facing heavy criticism over his formation and tactics, United finally recorded three consecutive wins for the first time under Amorim, who will celebrate his first anniversary with the club next month.

United are currently sixth in the English Premier League (EPL) with 16 points after nine matches, six points behind leaders Arsenal and one point ahead of defending champions Liverpool.

“It’s been a long and difficult journey, there have been sweet moments and there have been bitter moments. I learned a lot from it and that’s very important,” said Amorim ahead of the match against Nottingham Forest this Saturday.

“I learned that even in the most difficult moments, I can still stand by what I believe in and that’s a good thing to understand.

“The answer is different now than it was three weeks ago. This is one of the biggest honours of my life and I want to stay here for a long time.”

Forest are now managed by Sean Dyche, their third manager of the season, who was previously among Amorim’s critics after claiming the Portuguese manager should have used a 4-4-2 formation to achieve more wins.

“I always say my playing style will take time and in the future it will get better,” Amorim stressed.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen, but I can see Sean Dyche as a manager and an analyst. If you’re an analyst and you don’t speak up, I won’t watch you. Me either. I understand, they’re two different jobs.

“I know Dyche is smart and knows the ins and outs of the game. He knows that talking about football is not the same as coaching a team,” he said.

Amorim also informed that Harry Maguire’s injury status is still uncertain, while Lisandro Martinez is not ready to play despite having returned to full training after recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in February.