𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

“We want to give something to the fans, but it’s hard in this moment – we just want to turn the page and improve next season,” he said at a press conference on Thursday.

“We cannot hide that it is really tough in this moment for us not to close the season, but if there is one thing that is really important in this club it is that we need to face our fans in this moment, and we need to give something to our fans around the world.”

Ruben Amorim insisted he and his Manchester United players are desperate to “turn the page” on a disappointing campaign as they head into the second match of a post-season Asian tour in Hong Kong on Friday.

United were booed off in defeat to an ASEAN All-Stars team in Malaysia on Wednesday, a week on from losing the Europa League final to Tottenham and missing out on a Champions League spot as a result.

The Red Devils finished 15th in the Premier League, marking their worst season in 51 years.

The club will earn £8m from this trip to the Far East and while Amorim acknowledges the importance of tours such as this for him and the players to connect with United’s worldwide fanbase, there is clearly a big part of him that just wants this season to be over.

In more positive news, it sounds like the club are very close to completing the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves.

Cunha will have a medical with Manchester United after they triggered his £62.5m release clause.

The Brazilian is set to become the third and biggest buy of Ruben Amorim’s time at Old Trafford as the Portuguese has targeted him to bring firepower to a goal-shy United team.

Wolves agreed a payment structure with United, which is believed to involve paying the transfer fee over two years, and have given Cunha permission to have a medical at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim gives starts to teenaged wing-backs Godwill Kukonki and Harry Amass, winger Shea Lacey and defender Jaydan Kamason, as well as 20-year-old Tyler Fredricson.

They are joined in the starting XI by the experience of 39-year-old back-up goalkeeper Tom Heaton and 37-year-old defender Jonny Evans, playing in their final games for United.

Manchester United XI: Heaton; Fredricson, Evans, Kukonki; Kamason, Fernandes, Casemiro, Amass; Garnacho, Hojlund, Lacey.

Harry Maguire, Andre Onana and Diogo Dalot flew to India after the encounter with the ASEAN All Stars on a sponsors’ trip, and are thus unavailable for this game. Luke Shaw has also been ruled out by Ruben Amorim, though Matthijs de Ligt, Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee could feature having missed the fixture in Malaysia.

So this is part two of Man United’s ill-fated post-season tour of Asia. The most disastrous season in the club’s modern history seemingly never ends, although it will finally stop when the full-time whistle blows in Hong Kong tonight. Can Ruben Amorim’s beleaguered boys at least bow out with a win?

Whatever the score, at least Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s balance sheet will be looking a little healthier thanks to this sold-out trip.

Hello and welcome along to live coverage of the slow death of Manchester United’s season.