Ruben Amorim claimed his Manchester United side are the “worst team” in the club’s history – and those comments have not gone down well.
The Red Devils slumped to a 3-1 defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday – already Amorim’s seventh loss since taking the reins from Erik ten Hag. It leaves United languishing 13th in the Premier League and still just ten points clear of the relegation zone.
Speaking after his side’s latest defeat, Amorim claimed his side were the worst in the club’s history. He said: “In [the past] 10 games in Premier League, we won two. Imagine what this is for a fan of Manchester United. Imagine what this is for me.
“We are getting a new coach who is losing more than the last coach. I have full knowledge of that. We are the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United.
“I know you [media] want headlines but I am saying that because we have to acknowledge that and to change that. Here you go: your headlines.”
But Amorim’s comments have not gone down particularly well – especially with Liverpool icon Steve Nicol. Responding to the Portuguese coach’s assessment on ESPN, he said: “I’m shaking my head. You can’t say that. For him to come out and say that, you just can’t do it.
“I don’t know what he thinks the reaction from the players is going to be after that. You just can’t say it. Sometimes you just need to lie.”
It wasn’t just Nicol who was left disgruntled though. His ESPN colleague and ex-MLS star Alejandro Moreno also slammed Amorim.
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He added: “It’s not helpful. I’m not asking you to lie to me but the players will know they’re not very good and know they’re struggling.
“They don’t really need their manager to tell the world that. It doesn’t fill me with loads of confidence if I’m a player in that dressing room.
“I don’t think the players needed to hear that. The one person who can’t lose faith in the players is the manager. If he loses faith, then everything else falls apart. You have to lie, you misrepresent the truth, you repackage the message and present a new reality.”
United are back in action on Thursday as they take on Scottish giants Rangers in the Europa League. Their next Premier League assignment pits them against Fulham on Sunday evening.
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