Ruben Amorim explains controversial Europa League decision as fans worry 'we're doomed'

Ruben Amorim has justified his choice to start Mason Mount in the Europa League final, despite a backlash from fans. Amorim placed Mount in his starting line-up alongside Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro against Tottenham, as Manchester United sought to salvage their season with a victory.

Despite some supporters expressing despair at the team selection, even claiming they were "doomed" due to Amorim's choices, the Portuguese boss defended his decision, citing Mount's ability to bring a "different balance" and "compacts the team".

In a pre-match discussion with TNT Sports, Amorim remarked: "I really enjoyed the last two training sessions. And when you have these kind of trainings, you feel relaxed because I trust in the guys.

"I feel Mason Mount, in this moment, gives us a different balance because he's really good attacking, but also the way he compacts the team - he is one extra midfielder and you know Tottenham put all the full-backs and midfielders inside with a lot of people overloading that space.

"So my thinking was that, to have possession and to have a right foot in that position is really important, to also have speed on the bench because we have Amad on the other side. We need legs to change the game.

"If you look at the team, Casemiro is used to playing these types of games, Bruno is always there, Harry Maguire has played in European games for his national team and knows the pressure.

"The final is a different context, a different game. The beginning of the game is really important - to feel the game - and I think we're getting better on that."

When discussing the potential impact of winning the Europa League on transfers, Amorim shared his thoughts: "It's not going to change so much [in relation to transfers]. It can be a little help to add more if we need, but it's not going to change so much. I think the most important thing is the feeling of winning."

He elaborated on the significance of the victory for morale: "It's going to help everybody. If you look at Carrington with all the changes, we had staff with us who are no longer there, we need to deliver that feeling in order to give something to everybody."

Amorim emphasized the sentimental value over financial concerns: "I'm not thinking about the money. I'm not worried about the money because we're a big brand, but it's the feeling. We need that feeling, we need to have a connection with people and without trophies, it's really hard to get that connection."