Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim
Manchester United have dropped to 15th in the Premier League table after being beaten 1-0 by Tottenham and Ruben Amorim has taken a lot of the criticism.
It was a contest that saw both sides have chances, with Alejandro Garnacho missing a particularly golden opportunity in the first half to make it 1-1.
Tottenham may not have had it all their own way but deservedly picked up the the three points. At times, Man Utd were easy to play through, due to big gaps in their midfield set-up.
Speaking on commentary duty for Sky Sports, Gary Neville didn’t hold back in voicing his disbelief at the way Amorim had chosen to approach the game.
“We just said about the distance between the two central midfield players. Look at where Casemiro is and where Bruno Fernandes is. That cannot be right. It breaks all rules in football. Look at them – absolute madness, that,” Neville said.
“They may score goals but the structure of the team is awful. The gaps in that midfield, that’s a tactical thing – they’ve been told to do that. Bruno Fernandes is playing right wing. It’s embarrassing.
“You wouldn’t see this in under-9s or under-10s football. There’s a reason for it. It’s because of what [Joshua] Zirkzee did against Newcastle when he kept having to come out to one side. What Amorim said is, ‘You stay in there’. But that means then it’s impossible for them two behind… that space in midfield there. It’s shocking.”
Ruben Amorim: ‘I hate to lose’
Amorim took charge of Man Utd back in November but he has yet to have the desired impact at Old Trafford, with the club winning just four of their 14 Premier League matches since his appointment.
It was always going to be a tough challenge to turn things around – but many have suggested that Amorim’s insistence to play a 3-4-3 formation hasn’t helped the team pick up results.
Following the game, Amorim admitted he is worried about the position of his team – which is 12 points above the relegation zone.
“It was the difference of the game, they scored and we didn’t. We had the opportunities. We had situations in transitions, trying to get a result, but in the end they scored and we didn’t,” Amorim told BBC Sport.
“We want to recover the players, I think we can recover some players for the next game. We have to be together to finish the season and start over.”
On naming young players on the bench due to several senior players being unavailable, Amorim added:
“It is the hardest competition in the world. I am trying to be careful with them. I felt the team was pushing for the goal and I felt I don’t want to change. But they will play.
“You try to read the game, understand what you see in training. The team were pushing for the goal and I didn’t feel the need to change.
“I am not worried. I understand our fans, what the media think about it. I hate to lose, that feeling is the worst.
“The rest I am not thinking about. I am here to help my players. I understand my situation, my job, I am confident on my work and I just want to win games.
“The place in the table is my worry, I am not worried about me.”