'I’m not helping my players' says Ruben Amorim after Manchester United lose at Old Traffford again
AMOR-I'M NOT HELPING: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim appears frustrated after the final whistle. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
OLD Trafford rose to pay tribute to Denis Law on Sunday, but once proceedings turned to football matters, it was a more negative history that was in focus, as Manchester United slumped to their worst start to a home campaign in 131 years and left manager Ruben Amorim conceding “maybe” he was in control of the worst team in the club[s history.
A thoroughly predictable home defeat to a lively Brighton side - the third consecutive season that has happened - had Amorim staring down the barrel of an alarming statistic.
It was the sixth defeat of United’s first 12 home games of a season, a start that has not been this bad since 1893-94, when Queen Victoria was on the throne and the club finished bottom of the first division.
Not only were United not playing at Old Trafford at that time but they were not even United, but forerunners Newton Heath. Such is the historical level of ineptitude to which this current team has sunk.
“In ten games in Premier League, we won two. I know that, imagine what this is for a fan of Manchester United, imagine what this is for me,” said Amorim.
“We are getting a new coach who is losing more than the last coach. I have full knowledge of that. I am not going to change, no matter what.
“I know we can succeed but we need to survive this moment. I am not naive. We need to survive now.
“We are the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United? I know you want headlines but I am saying that because we have to acknowledge that and to change that. Here you go: your headlines.”
The day, of course, had started with the focus very much on history; this, the glorious one presided over by Law, who was given an emotional send-off, following his death on Friday.
Once the action got underway, Bruno Fernandes equalised an early opening goal from Yankuba Minteh from the penalty spot, only for second-half goals from the excellent Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter to condemn United to yet another loss. It was a performance in which familiar frailties were on display all over the field.
The killer third Brighton goal, for example, summed up most concerns United have, starting with goalkeeper Andre Onana.
He should have had no problem in cutting out Yasin Ayari’s routine cross as he slid out to his six-yard line on 75 minutes, only to spill the ball as he tried to collect. The error left substitute Rutter with the routine task of taking a touch and ramming the ball in for a 3-1 lead.
Earlier, and for a fifth consecutive home game, United had conceded first and, for the third time in that run, the opening opposition goal came inside five minutes.
It was a depressingly familiar refrain under Amorim, in home games, as United were hit on the counter-attack and their defence opened up at an alarming rate.
One simple long ball, from Carlos Baleba, was all it took to send Mitoma sprinting down the left, with wing-back Noussair Mazraoui nowhere to be seen, and the Japanese international selflessly squared for Minteh to tap home.
United at least responded on 22 minutes, when Amad Diallo intercepted a pass from keeper Bart Verbruggen.
The ball was worked to Joshua Zirkzee and Baleba, having set up the opening goal, contributed to United’s, grabbing the striker round the neck and conceding a penalty which Fernandes calmly converted.
It should have been a springboard for a recovery. Instead, and for the first time in a home game, since losing to Southampton almost exactly nine years ago, United failed to record a single shot on target from open play.
The hosts enjoyed a huge slice of luck after 52 minutes when Joao Pedro appeared to have restored Brighton’s lead, from a scramble following a free-kick, but the effort was ruled out for a foul by Jan Paul van Hecke on Diogo Dalot.
And there was no such reprieve when Mitoma did score, on the hour, as Ayari surged through the middle before finding Minteh on the edge of the area and his perfect, far-post cross was met by Mitoma, arriving ahead of Mazraoui, to turn in.
It was a poor piece of defending, all-round and an especially painful one for Mazraoui who needed lengthy treatment after wrapping himself around the post.
“The opponents are better than us in many details,” said Amorim. “That we cannot be consistent, that I’m not helping my players in the moment.
“It’s a hard moment, you have to acknowledge that we are in a very difficult situation, with all the bad records, losing games at home, losing games in the Premier League, we are really underperforming and we need to win games, that’s all.”
Onana 4; de Ligt 5; Maguire 6, Yoro 5; Mazraoui 4 (Antony 84), Ugarte 6 (Collyer 64, 5), Mainoo 6 (Garnacho 64, 5), Dalot 7; Diallo 7, Fernandes 7; Zirkzee 6 (Hojlund 84).
Bayindir, Casemiro, Eriksen, Malacia, Martinez.
Verbruggen 6; Veltman 7, Dunk 7, van Hecke 6, Estupinan 7 (Lamptey 84); Baleba 7 (Gomez 90), Ayari 6; Minteh 7 (March 69, 6), Pedro 7 (Enciso 90), Mitoma 9; Welbeck 7 (Rutter 69, 7)
Adingra, McConville, Steele, Webster.
P Bankes 6
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