RUBEN AMORIM says cash-strapped Manchester United must operate with a smaller squad after failing to qualify for the Champions League.
The Red Devils are ready to spend £100million on Wolves forward Matheus Cunha and Ipswich striker Liam Delap, despite finishing 15th in the Prem and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham.
That Bilbao defeat by Spurs last Wednesday means there will be no European football on offer at Old Trafford next season and will limit Amorim’s summer transfer activity.
The United boss said: “It’s not going to change so much because we have the financial fair play rules.
“We are not allowed to do much in this summer, even if we had Champions League, so we are prepared for that.”
Despite the Euro exile next term, Amorim will try to improve a squad that arguably delivered the worst season at United since the club were relegated in 1974.
Yet the latest manager given the seemingly impossible job of restoring the club to its Sir Alex Ferguson glory era claims that a year outside Europe’s elite might be a blessing in disguise.
Amorim added: “I have to say that for us not to be in the Champions League could be an advantage to perform better, to prepare better for the games, to build that work that we need for the future.
“Without Champions League, we don’t need a big squad, we can control the squad in a better way. Then we have a plan to bring some new players.
“But our big plan is to improve the team we have, to improve our academy, because I think that is the future. It was the past, so can be the future.”
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United’s golden eras were built on the Busby Babes and the Class of 92, which featured academy graduates such as Paul Scholes, David Beckham Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers, Gary and Phil.
Amorim had a reputation at Braga and Sporting Lisbon for identifying young players with the qualities to thrive in the first team and giving them their chance.
But the Portuguese head coach recognises the dangers of too much, too young, especially at a club like United.
Amorim said: “One of the issues with youngsters is sometimes we push too much from the beginning.
“You have social media, all this pressure around young kids.
“I believe in all of them and you have surprises.
“This is a massive club, that is a big question in our club, putting our young kids on the pedestal and that is an important thing to change because we need to control that.”
Amorim did not want to name names but Kobbie Mainoo has gone from being the great midfield hope of United and England last season to a bit-part player in the latest disastrous campaign.
Focused on next season
The United boss himself cannot wait to put the terrible start to his Old Trafford reign behind him and focus on the new campaign.
But first he must steer the team through their post-season, money-spinning mini-tour of the Far East.
Amorim, speaking ahead of the friendly against ASEAN All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur, said: “It was important to finish the season, we needed to close that chapter.
“It’s not fully behind us. I will rest from that when we finish the tour.
“I closed that chapter, I’m excited, I’m nervous, I want to work to the next season.
“I don’t have that feeling to disconnect, I don’t need rest.
“We have a lot to do during this summer, we have to prepare the team — but when you are Manchester United, people are going to expect us to be at the top.
“But we have to understand the context. So I don’t want a team to think about a big target.
“Just a small target is to win the first game and then we pass to the second game.”
