Ruben Amorim said it was a “mistake” to describe his Manchester United side as perhaps the worst in the club’s history in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s 3-1 home defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion. But admitted that his players are finding it increasingly nerve-racking playing at Old Trafford.
The head coach claimed he knew his hasty post-match dressing down would make headlines after United suffered a sixth home defeat of the season to remain stuck in 13th in the Premier League.
Amorim said his remarks were borne out of frustration and meant to encompass everyone, including himself, not just the players.
“I was talking more for myself than for my players, because I was talking that [I’m] a coach who starts out losing seven games in the first [15]. So it’s more for me. I was talking more about myself than the players,” he said.
“It’s the same players doing worse with a new coach — that is my only concern at the moment. I also talked in the same response about how I was not helping my players and if you look at every time you [the media] push about the players [not being] good enough I never put the spot [blame] on my players.
“So I understand I gave you that headline and I’m frustrated sometimes, and sometimes I should not say that in those terms, but it is what it is and that’s it. Sometimes it’s really hard to hide the frustration in the moment.
“But the good thing is that I said the same things in a different way in the dressing room five minutes before. The response was quite normal because I’m really blunt with my players.”
Amorim doesn’t normally address the squad immediately after a match, instead favouring to debrief the following day, but could not prevent it on Sunday.
“I’m a young guy and sometimes I make a mistake,” the 39-year-old said. “That’s why I don’t talk after the game. This game, I needed to talk and maybe it was a mistake.
“Sometimes you are a young guy and you do mistakes and then you improve. I don’t promise to you I will not do it again, I don’t know, I try to improve.”
Since becoming head coach in November, Amorim has been brutally honest when assessing the size of the challenge he faces at United and believes that is the best possible approach.
Saying that his players are currently nervous during games and find matches in front of a home crowd challenging could be viewed as unhelpful, but Amorim noted that it is obvious to see.
“If you want I can be delusional and say different things,” he said. “I say it as I see it. I said it to the players and I said it to you – I think it’s a good thing to be really honest with you.
“If you want me to say different things — you saw one thing, I saw one thing, and I tell you a different thing — I can start to do it. It’s easier for me.
“What I’m saying is that — and they [the players] know - you can understand the game, if you are in the stadium, you can understand it. So let’s face it and work on it. But I’m not nervous.”
'Players must take responsibility'
United host Rangers on Thursday with direct progression into the last-16 of the Europa League still a possibility. Harry Maguire knows that they must start games better, though, having conceded the first goal in each of their last five home matches.
“If I could explain it, I think we would change it straight away,” Maguire said of United’s woes.
“We’ve got players who have played numerous games internationally, won lots of trophies in club football, but at the moment we’re not playing well enough as a team and the league table shows it.
“We’ve got to take responsibility as players. You’ve got to go into the game and be focused and mentally ready to go and win a football match.
“Football matches are sometimes defined on small margins and at the moment we’re not getting those small margins because we’re not mentally focused enough to to make sure that they go our way.”
