Ruben Amorim tries to avoid social media in order to protect himself and his family. The United manager said this at the press conference before the home match against West Ham United. The Portuguese coach, together with Arne Slot, receives the most hate messages in the Premier League.
Manchester United host West Ham United at Old Trafford on 04 12 2025, with kick off at 21 00, in a game that comes against the backdrop of an increasingly toxic online climate around Premier League managers and players.
In the build up to the match, United manager Ruben Amorim explained that he is deliberately keeping his distance from social media in order to protect both himself and his family.
A BBC study recently showed that Amorim, together with Arne Slot and Eddie Howe, sits at the top of the list of managers who receive the most abusive messages in the Premier League. Slot has already said that he consciously ignores social media for that reason, and his Portuguese colleague has now confirmed that he follows a similar strategy. Amorim made it clear that this kind of abuse has become part of the job for a top level manager, but that he personally chooses not to expose himself to it.
He explained that he tries to protect himself by not reading or watching content that focuses on Manchester United, especially when the tone is negative or sensational. He does not watch television when he knows that United are being dissected in the studio. Not, as he stressed, because the pundits are always wrong, but because shutting it out is his way of staying mentally healthy in an environment where every decision is magnified and every result is judged in real time. For Amorim, his own feeling as a coach, his internal assessment of training sessions and matches, is enough. He does not need the extra noise of social media and rolling analysis on top of that.
According to data published by the BBC, the volume of hateful messages aimed at managers and their families is only increasing, despite repeated campaigns promoting respect and fair play. Amorim pointed out that from a purely financial point of view he could use platforms like Instagram to earn significant money through sponsored content and partnerships. He chooses not to do that. The United manager prefers to prioritise the safety of his family and the possibility of living a normal life away from the stadium and the training ground, even if that means turning down extra income. In his view, abusive behaviour online has become almost normalised, and for someone in his position the only realistic way to cope is to step back from social networks altogether.
His words highlight a wider issue in modern football. The pressure on Premier League managers has always been intense, but the combination of social media, outrage culture and the global reach of the league means that criticism today is instant, relentless and often deeply personal. A run of bad results can quickly turn into a flood of insults, threats and attacks that go far beyond sporting debate. For Amorim, shielding his household from that constant stream is as important as any tactical decision he makes before a game.
Fortunately for United supporters, the press conference did not focus solely on the darker side of the profession. There was also room for actual football in the build up to the meeting with West Ham. Amorim brought a mixed update on the fitness of his squad, with both encouraging and worrying elements.
The good news is that Matheus Cunha is available again after recovering from a head injury. The Brazilian forward adds mobility, link up play and a direct threat in behind, and his return gives United another option in attack at a time when the calendar is full and rotation is essential. His ability to drop between the lines and combine with the midfield could be an important tool against a West Ham side that often defends compactly and looks to break quickly.
On the negative side, Amorim still cannot count on Harry Maguire and Benjamin Sesko. Maguire s absence removes an experienced figure from the heart of the defence, someone who is important not only for aerial duels and organisation at set pieces but also for leadership in difficult moments. Sesko, for his part, offers height, power and penalty box presence, qualities that are especially useful against teams who defend deep. Without him, United may have to rely more on fluid movement and interchanging positions rather than on crosses to a classic target man.
Amorim also revealed that there are two additional players in the squad who are considered doubtful for the clash with West Ham. Their names have not been made public, which adds a small element of uncertainty to the preparation. Depending on who these doubts are, the manager might have to adjust his game plan at short notice, either by reshuffling the starting eleven or by changing the type of impact he expects from his bench.
From a tactical point of view, the meeting with West Ham is another important test of United s progress under Amorim. The visitors have built a reputation in recent seasons for being disciplined, physically strong and dangerous on the counterattack and at set pieces. United will need to control transitions, maintain concentration on defensive dead balls and show enough creativity in the final third to break down a well drilled block. The possible absence of key defenders and forwards makes that challenge more complex.
At the same time, Amorim s comments about mental health and social media form part of the narrative around this match. The Portuguese coach is trying to build a culture in which players and staff focus on internal standards rather than external noise. By publicly explaining why he avoids social networks and certain television programs, he is also sending a message to his own dressing room that it is acceptable, and perhaps even necessary, to protect themselves from the harshest forms of criticism.
As Manchester United prepare to walk out at Old Trafford at 21 00 on 04 12 2025 to face West Ham United, the stakes are sporting as well as human. On the field, three points are vital in the race for league positions and in maintaining momentum through a demanding winter schedule. Off it, the manager is quietly fighting another battle, trying to ensure that success or failure on the pitch does not come at the cost of the wellbeing of his family and his players.
