Ruben Amorim has said the criticism he endured during his time at Manchester United has left him ready for any reaction, even when it comes from former players who know the club well.

Speaking after a 1-1 draw with Juventus, Amorim, now with AC Milan, played down the idea that outside judgement could unsettle him.

“Criticism is normal,” said Amorim, now of AC Milan when asked to reflect on the response to his side’s recent 1–1 draw with Juventus. “It’s impossible that it’s more than what I received at my previous club!”

When the discussion turned to ex-players, he returned to the same theme and to the environment he left behind.

“I was in a club in the past with a lot of legends, and they have big opinions, and they talk a lot about things,” he stressed. “They lived in a time that was completely different.”

Amorim’s spell at Manchester United was marked by pressure almost from the outset. With 25 wins from 63 matches, he was repeatedly under scrutiny, and the questions around his work never seemed far away. The remarks were part of a broader pattern, one in which former United figures regularly weighed in on the team’s direction and standards.

Roy Keane has recently questioned Carrick’s credentials, while Gary Neville also drew comparisons after a 2-2 draw with Everton.

“Teams think they’ve got a chance against them,” Neville reflected on his self-titled podcast . “I thought they were a little bit complacent and I was saying it after the first goal, they lacked that killer instinct before that period when Everton equalized and then they react again.

“Everton weren’t at it at all in that first half—United were the better team and didn’t have that killer instinct up top and certainly from 1–0 up to 1–1 they let Everton back in the game. It’s not going full throttle when you’ve got a team down, putting them away and then this liability of conceding goals.

“I don’t think it’s going to go away and that’s my big fear. I think conceding goals is going to chase them and hunt them down the road and I don’t know how Michael deals with it because he’s got his best back four on the pitch.

The 2026 summer window delivered its share of headline purchases, but not every major move inspired confidence. Alongside smart recruitment and eye-catching spending, there were also a number of deals that raised questions across the game.

With so many players changing clubs, some questionable decisions were always likely. Here are eight signings that stand out for the wrong reasons.

Tottenham Hotspur’s capture of Sávio was among the most eye-catching. The $101.9 million fee surprised many, especially given the Brazilian’s return of just two Premier League goals in two seasons at the Etihad. Spurs also added Omar Marmoush from Manchester City in quick succession, and the scale of the Sávio deal left plenty of people stunned once the talk of a sell-on clause was dismissed.

Another Tottenham move came on deadline day and caused just as much confusion. The loan signing of Mykhailo Mudryk, alongside the addition of Chelsea center back Tosin Adarabioyo, puzzled supporters. Mudryk had not played a competitive match in nearly two years after a doping ban that was recently lifted, making the move a considerable gamble.

Nottingham Forest also drew attention for the wrong reasons when they spent $61.2 million on Liam Delap. Chelsea had only signed him for $40.6 million, and after a difficult debut season that brought three goals in 49 appearances, the fee looked excessive despite his 12-goal Premier League campaign for Ipswich Town in 2024-25.

Chelsea’s own summer business included Emmanuel Emegha, signed from Strasbourg for $28.5 million. Expected to back up João Pedro, he now sits third in the pecking order after the arrival of Danny Welbeck, leaving him with a difficult route to regular football.

Juventus paid $43.8 million for Randal Kolo Muani after his mixed loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur, where he scored five goals in 41 appearances. AC Milan then turned to Gonçalo Ramos for $80 million, despite his role as a rotation option behind Ousmane Dembélé and a return of 13 goals in 50 matches.

Gabriel Martinelli’s $81.5 million move to Al Hilal was not a disaster for the clubs involved, but it was still a surprising step for a 25-year-old forward who could have rebuilt his standing at a Champions League club.

For Trabzonspor, the free signing of Mohamed Salah was a major coup. The Liverpool winger arrived with no transfer fee attached and plenty of interest elsewhere.

AC Milan manager Ruben Amorim kept his response measured after his side beat Manchester United, describing the result as little more than a routine preseason fixture. He also joked that the club’s press conferences have lacked energy since he left.

Asked whether the win carried added significance because of the opposition, Amorim declined to frame it that way. He said: “It’s a normal match,” and added, “Since I signed with Milan, I haven’t felt anything about Manchester United .

“I’m just proud to have been at Manchester United and I still love Manchester United, but after signing with Milan, I don’t feel anything negative about anything, because I’m very happy. I’m where I should be. So I just want to continue here. I wanted to win a preseason match to give a good image to our fans.”

After the game, Amorim crossed paths with BBC Sport journalist Simon Stone in the mixed zone. The pair embraced, before Stone referred to missing his old media briefings. Amorim’s reply was blunt and light-hearted: “More boring now!”

His time in England was defined by unusually forceful press conference moments. He once called his United side the worst in the club’s history, said he sometimes “hates” his players and stated he would prefer to pick his goalkeeping coach ahead of Marcus Rashford. Rashford later came off the bench for his first United appearance since being banished by Amorim nearly 20 months ago .

Meanwhile, the more controlled approach now associated with Carrick has drawn praise from United supporters and been linked to the mood around a side that has enjoyed a strong 2026 so far.

That calmer tone remained intact after the defeat, with Carrick setting his sights on improvement before the Premier League opener against Hull City on Aug. 22.

“We’re disappointed with today,” he told MUTV. “We didn’t play well today. There’s reasons for that in some ways [but] we need to learn from it, we need to improve.”