By Last month, after yet another chastening defeat, Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim told the world that his current team was perhaps the worst in the club’s long history.
If such a bold statement was a tactic to galvanize his team to turnaround its awful form, it certainly hasn’t worked. In reality, the squad has only proved the manager’s assertion right.
The nightmare of United’s league season hit a new low on Sunday after it was beaten 1-0 by Tottenham Hotspur, a team which has also suffered from a string of bad results in recent months.
James Maddison returned from injury to score the winning goal for Spurs, while an underwhelming United was left kicking itself after missing some golden chances to equalize – Alejandro Garnacho was particularly culpable.
The defeat means the Red Devils slip to 15th in the Premier League table, with a minus seven goal difference. The team is now closer to the relegation zone than it is to the Champions League qualification spots.
The loss compounds an already bleak picture at Old Trafford, especially when considering the injuries to key players that hit the squad this week – including star winger Amad Diallo, arguably the only positive from this season, who could now miss the rest of the season.
“What you see guys and what you discuss every week, I also see. I have a lot of problems, my job is so, so hard here. But I stick with my beliefs,” Amorim told Sky Sports after the latest defeat.
“You grow and you learn a lot of things. We just need to face it and not run away, that is my feeling. Today will hurt, it is a tough pain to lose so many games, but then you can change things in a week.”
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Rio Ferdinand calls for ‘long-term thinking’ amid turbulent times at Manchester United
There was much excitement at United when Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag as manager in November.
Everyone knew the team would need time to adapt to his demanding style of play and that this season would perhaps be used as a transitional period to bring about the change that’s been needed for so long.
But no one, perhaps including Amorim himself, could have predicted just how low United’s performances would have dipped.
Under the Portuguese manager, who was incredibly successful at previous club Sporting CP, the Red Devils have now lost eight of the 14 Premier League matches he’s been at the helm.
The players still look short of confidence and the new boss must now navigate the next few games without some senior players missing through injury.
Against Tottenham, United’s bench consisted almost entirely of youth players, many of whom had little to no experience of the senior game.
But despite the dire situation, Amorim is standing true to his values and said he isn’t concerned about the mounting pressure on his own job.
“I am not worried. Of course, I understand our fans and what the people in the media think about it. I just want to finish the league strong and not worry about me. I’m worried about the club, I’m worried about the team, the players. I hate to lose, that feeling is the worst thing,” he added.
“I am really confident in my work. I just want to win games. I’m more concerned about the club and the situation we are in. The place in the table is my worry, I am not worried about me.”
United has another tough fixture on Saturday as it faces an in-form Everton in the league. The match will take on even more meaning as former United manager David Moyes has now taken the reins with the Toffees.
