Match of the Day host Gary Lineker has spoken about Ruben Amorim’s alarming Manchester United comments ahead of their huge clash against Liverpool
Match of the Day host Gary Lineker has spoken about Ruben Amorim’s alarming Manchester United comments ahead of their huge clash against Liverpool Match of the Day host Gary Lineker has spoken about Ruben Amorim’s alarming Manchester United comments ahead of their huge clash against Liverpool
Gary Lineker thinks Ruben Amorim’s recent comments about Manchester United being in a relegation battle are overly negative.
Amorim conceded that United could find themselves facing a relegation struggle after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle. The defeat to the Magpies left them in 14th, just seven points clear of 18th-placed Ipswich Town and a full 13 points adrift of Chelsea in fourth.
After witnessing his team lose five out of his first eight Premier League games, Amorim acknowledged they were in the midst of a relegation fight until their form improves. United have not won in the Premier League since the shock 2-1 away victory over Manchester City.
That moment did not prove to be a turning point for a United side that has looked devoid of ideas ever since. But after Amorim warned United fans that relegation was possible, Lineker contradicted the ex-Sporting Lisbon boss.
On ‘The Rest is Football podcast’, Lineker said: “Did you see after the game that Amorim confirmed he thinks the team are in a relegation battle? I mean, that’s extraordinary.
“He said that. That’s not us saying that, I don’t think they are going to be in a relegation battle, I’m sure.”
Addressing United’s performance specifically in the match against Newcastle, Lineker added: “It’s not gone to plan for Manchester United this season.
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“At the moment, Amorim’s record is worse than Ten Hag. We saw them play against Newcastle, and the first half an hour was quite embarrassing actually.”
Amorim was visibly disheartened in his post-match press conference at Old Trafford. Facing questions from the media about United’s perilous league position, Amorim said: “That is really clear [United are being dragged into a relegation battle] so we have to fight.
“It is a really difficult moment, one of the more difficult moments in the history of Manchester United and we have to address it with honesty.
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“It is also my fault. The team is not improving. It is a little bit lost in this moment and it is a bit embarrassing to be Manchester United coach and lose a lot of games.
“I think people are tired of excuses at this club. This club needs a shock. When you have these kind of moments, especially in the big clubs, it’s really hard to turn things around, especially when you don’t have a lot of time to train the basics, to cope with the difficult moments. So we have to acknowledge our position, the way you see the league, everybody can beat everybody.”
United have not been relegated from the top flight since the 1973-74 campaign, more than 50 years ago.
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Mirror – Sport