Amorim Addresses Crisis at Manchester United: Key Insights
Ruben Amorim attempted to clarify his bombshell comment that his Manchester United side is “the worst team” in the club’s history on Wednesday, with the manager acknowledging some blame for the turmoil at Old Trafford.
United’s 3-1 loss to Brighton on Sunday was their sixth in nine Premier League games under Amorim, who took over for the dismissed Erik ten Hag in November.
The club, now 13th in the Premier League table, faces Scottish heavyweights Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday, where they are well-positioned to advance to the knockout stages.
During a pre-match press conference on Wednesday, former Sporting Lisbon manager Amorim, 39, addressed his comments about Brighton.
“I was talking more about me than the players,” said the captain. “I also talked in the same response (that) I was not helping my players and if you look around, every time I speak, and I speak a lot, every time you push that the players are not good enough I never put the spot(light) on my players.”
He added: “I’m frustrated sometimes, and I shouldn’t state it in those terms, but it is what it is, and it can be difficult to hide the annoyance at times. But the good news is that I stated the same thing in a different way in the dressing room five minutes earlier.
“The response was quite normal because I’m really blunt with my players” .
– ‘Nervous’ United –
Amorim stated that his underperforming team was “too nervous, really anxious” and that games at Old Trafford were considerably more difficult.
“We’re more apprehensive playing at home than abroad because we’ve lost four of our last five games. “So it’s getting harder,” he remarked.
“However, we can improve. I believe that if we do not concede the first goal, which I recall occurring in the fourth, tenth, or fifteenth minute, it will be extremely difficult to calm the team.
“The first thing that comes to mind is that they (the opposition) can’t score. We need to get the first one. If we score the first goal, I believe things will change and we will play better at home in the beginning.”
At the same press conference, former United captain Harry Maguire stated that the players “must look at themselves.”
“We have to accept responsibility for ourselves, and that is what I do. “I go home and think about how I can help this team improve and get back to where we want to go, which is difficult,” he explained.
Amorim dismissed speculation about the prospective sale of Alejandro Garnacho, an Argentine winger linked with transfers to Napoli and Chelsea during the January transfer window.
“I understand the question but let’s focus on the game,” responded the gentleman. “I don’t want to discuss that, especially before a game. Our primary objective is that our guys are here to play. To feel that sense of accomplishment, we must progress and win games. Let us focus on that.”
