Ruben Amorim’s decision to conduct a full training session immediately after Manchester United’s FA Cup win over Leicester City has sparked controversy, with former Arsenal defender Martin Keown branding it “unprofessional.”
United scraped past Leicester with a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford, thanks to a late goal from Harry Maguire. However, the performance was far from convincing, as Amorim’s side struggled to impose themselves against their Premier League opponents.
In an unusual move, Amorim ordered some of his players to take part in a post-match training session on the Old Trafford pitch. Despite playing the entire 90 minutes, striker Rasmus Hojlund was among those seen participating.
United proudly showcased the extra training on social media, posting: “Working for the badge. Some of the United squad completed a full training session at Old Trafford following the full-time whistle on Friday.”
However, Keown was unimpressed and suggested that Amorim’s decision might have been an attempt to humiliate underperforming players.
“Does it come across as a punishment?” Keown questioned on talkSPORT. “He can do what he wants, but it feels a little unprofessional. It’s like saying, ‘We don’t have time to do it in the week, so we’ll do it now.’”
Keown also noted that United had a nine-day gap before their next fixture, making the timing of the session questionable.
“It’s very unorthodox. Normally, players focus on recovery and stretching. Is this about embarrassing the players? They were poor for large parts of the game,” he added.
The ex-England defender speculated that Amorim’s frustration played a role in the decision.
“He’s probably so annoyed that he doesn’t want to wait—maybe he feels like he has no time to waste because his job isn’t completely secure.”
Reflecting on the win, Amorim admitted his team still had significant improvements to make.
“Right now, the only positive feeling is the win,” he said. “The fans helped us a lot in the second half, but otherwise, there’s not much to take confidence from. We need to improve in a lot of areas.”
With United’s inconsistent form under the spotlight, Amorim’s unusual training tactic has only added to the scrutiny.