Amorim once harshly criticized the midfield star in front of the entire team, scolding him for his lax attitude

According to TA reports, after losing to Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 in last season’s Europa League final and missing out on the championship and qualifying for next season’s European competition, Manchester United coach Amorim severely criticized midfielder Ugarte in a rare team meeting. Although Ugarte did not play in that game, the Uruguay international, who had worked with Amorim at Sporting CP, still could not escape the coach's wrath.

According to reports, the day after the defeat in the final, Amorim convened a meeting with the entire team to prepare for the Premier League finale against Aston Villa at home. At the meeting, he not only directly told Argentine winger Garnacho "it's best to find a good agent in the summer" (the latter was subsequently sold to Chelsea), but also took aim at Ugarte.

Amorim questioned Ugarte's professional attitude in front of all the players, saying bluntly that he "has become comfortable" and even said: "I don't recognize you anymore - you are no longer the player who tried his best in Lisbon." These words caused a shock in the locker room.

Unlike other coaches who prefer private communication, Amorim is used to pointing out problems in group settings. The approach sparked discussion among players. It is reported that some players have communicated privately and believe that the coach should give more personalized guidance. But Amorim has no plans to change his ways. He insists that fringe players must earn their spots based on performance in training rather than fighting for opportunities through private conversations. In order to maintain his authority, he even deliberately avoided participating in the players' social activities.

Before the 2025-26 season, Amorim held another full-staff meeting, reiterated the importance of professionalism and commitment, and criticized disciplinary issues such as "returning from a night out" and "being late for training". Although some players have reservations about his methods, the club's senior management highly recognizes his candor and passion - Amorim even frequently attended Manchester United's internal strategy meetings and was deeply involved in the team's reconstruction.

In this summer transfer window, Manchester United made a drastic move to clean up the lineup, sending away players such as Garnacho, Rashford, Sancho and Anthony who were considered to have "attitude or discipline problems", and instead introduced new players who truly love football and have a solid style. Mbemo from Brentford and Cunha from Wolves are not only familiar with the Premier League, but have also significantly improved the quality of training and team atmosphere.

In addition, Amorim also formed a six-person locker room leadership group, led by captain Bruno Fernandez, and including Maguire, Heaton, Lisandro Martinez, Mazraoui and Dalot, responsible for maintaining discipline and building morale.