HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said Thursday that his players cannot “hide” after a dismal season hit a fresh low when they were booed off following a friendly defeat in Malaysia.

United finished 15th in the Premier League and failed to win a trophy, then immediately jetted out Sunday for lucrative friendlies in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.

But if his squad were hoping for some respite in Asia, they did not get it, suffering a 1-0 defeat to a Southeast Asian XI in the Malaysian capital on Wednesday.

United’s players trudged off with boos ringing in their ears and footage later emerged of winger Amad Diallo making an obscene gesture to fans outside the team hotel.

“I have respect for people but not for the one who insults my mom,” the 22-year-old winger wrote on social media.

“I shouldn’t have reacted like that but I don’t regret what I did.”

It was another unwanted distraction for Amorim and United, who face Hong Kong’s representative team in another friendly on Friday.

Speaking to media in the southern Chinese city, Amorim was asked if an overseas tour to Asia was what the team needed at the end of a long and dispiriting campaign.

“We’ve had the season that we had and it’s not easy to face the fans around the world, so it’s a moment that is hard for us and we want to finish the season,” he said.

“But at the same time we want to give something to the fans. We are travelling, we don’t have time to adapt, we don’t have so much time to have contact with the fans and give everything they deserve.

“But it’s clear that we cannot hide… if there is one thing that is really important in this club, it’s that we need to face our fans in this moment and give something to our fans around the world.”

– ‘Hard moment’ –
Amorim, who took over from Erik ten Hag during the season but failed to spark an improvement, said his side of first-teamers and youngsters was “not really focused” in Wednesday’s loss.

“Everybody can feel it. But I understand the fans (booing), I understand the players and you also understand that we want to give something to the fans, but it’s hard in this moment,” he said.

The 40-year-old Portuguese said he had learned that being Manchester United manager meant being “more than a coach”.

“You have to improve as a person, you have to improve as a leader. Sometimes after the games you see I am frustrated, I am trying to control that.”

Heavy rain lashed the 40,000-capacity Hong Kong Stadium on the eve of the game and Amorim will be desperate not to have any fresh injuries to finish off the campaign.

“If we are professional and we focus on the game it is the best way to protect our players from injuries,” Amorim said.