Amorim explained whether to resign: Winning the Europa League will help Manchester United return to the top, otherwise the pressure will be huge

After United's defeat to West Ham United on Sunday, boss Ruben Amorim made a startling statement that he would consider stepping down if his side did not improve at the start of next season. However, the 40-year-old Portuguese is now emphasising that he is far from quitting, but the pressure will mount if he fails to win the Europa League this season.

Amorim is unbeaten in the Europa League and will face Tottenham Hotspur in the final, who will qualify for the Champions League if they win the trophy. But if he loses his chance to win the title, his record in England is miserable: he has won just six of his 25 Premier League games and has a negative goal difference, sitting 16th.

Speaking at the Premier League pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Amorim explained: "I've been talking about standards since I've been in charge. I can't imagine any team achieving such a result, especially in the Premier League rankings, where the manager doesn't say anything and doesn't take any responsibility. That's it. I know exactly what to do, I understand the team's problems and I'm far from giving up."

But the United boss reiterated: "I would say that Manchester United need to perform better this season and in the future or they have a chance to replace us. It's normal, I thought after the West Ham game and it still is.'

Amorim has always stressed that winning the Europa League will not make United's problems go away immediately, but he admits that a defeat to Tottenham, who have not won the trophy since 2008, will put him and his team under more pressure. "Of course, if we don't win the championship, it's clear what will happen next. I'm not worried about that, it's going to be very bad. I don't want to use that as an excuse, it's going to be really tough." Amorim concluded.

He stressed that the biggest role of the Europa League final is not the honour, but the income from Champions League qualification. "Personally, I think Champions League qualification is more important for everything, we have to be ready for next season and we should play in the Champions League. The Europa League is not enough here [at Manchester United] and you can feel that. It's the best way to help us get to the top."

The Europa League final is in the spotlight and the company owned by Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has also taken advantage of the opportunity to make money, selling tickets to Manchester United and Tottenham fans for £23,000 each!

With a capacity of 53,000 people, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur each received 15,000 tickets, with the cheapest tickets costing £34 and general admission between £55 and £204 under UEFA's 'Fan First' scheme. The Blues owner's company sells the only 'Golden Seats' at either end of the mid-line, as well as other less favourable tickets, which cost £17,000. The Sun revealed that they had thousands of tickets.

Manchester United boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe has sparked controversy over his refusal to give free tickets to his staff. Amorim then paid out of his own pocket to fund a trip to Bilbao, Spain, for 30 coaches, staff and their families to watch the final. Manchester United legends Eric Cantona and Patrice Evra, as well as captain Bruno Fernandes, followed suit, announcing that they would pay for tickets for 30, 50 and 50 staff respectively.

The performance of Amorim and his players in the final may also have a direct bearing on the future of many employees. According to The Sun, Manchester United staff are concerned that the 72-year-old may have a third wave of redundancies if they lose the Europa League title and miss out on next season's Champions League.