Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has said he talks about the prospect of relegation because the club needs a “shock”.
United suffered a 2-0 defeat against Newcastle on Monday, leaving them in 14th place, seven points above the relegation zone. It is their lowest position at the turn of a year in the league since 1989.
“People are tired of excuses in this club,” said Amorim after the game. “Sometimes I talk about relegation because our club needs a shock. It’s a shock.”
Monday’s result was also United’s third consecutive home league defeat. The last time that happened was in February 1979.
“When you have these kind of moments, especially at the big clubs, it is really hard to turn things around,” said Amorim.
“Especially when you don’t have a lot of time to train the basics, to cope with the difficult moments. We have to acknowledge our position, the way you see the league, everybody can beat everybody. We have to win games and focus on surviving.”
When asked if it was embarrassing as Manchester United manager that the club is associated with the risk of relegation he said: “It’s also my fault in this moment because I think the team has not improved.
“It’s a little bit lost in this moment. It’s a little bit embarrassing to be Manchester United coach and to lose a lot of games. But we have to cope with the difficult moments.”
Since Amorim’s first game in charge against Ipswich on November 24, only Southampton (7) have lost more games in all competitions among Premier League clubs than United (6). Amorim’s side have also conceded the joint-most goals (21) alongside Tottenham Hotspur.
It will not get any easier for United as they face league leaders Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
(Carl Recine/Getty Images)
