MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Ruben Amorim said he was “embarrassed” after Manchester United lost yet again in the Premier League on Sunday.
United fell to a club record-extending 17th loss in the modern era after a 2-0 home defeat to West Ham and is languishing at 16th in the 20-team division.
Amorim has already stated this could be the worst team in the club’s history.
The United head coach went further on Sunday, saying he felt “embarrassed” and it was “hard to accept” the team’s woeful domestic campaign.
“It’s my fault, I’m responsible. If we cannot change that really fast, we should give our place to different people,” he said, raising questions about his own future.
United has suffered more defeats this season than in any campaign since the Premier League was launched in 1992. The joint-record 20-time English champion is also certain to record its worst-ever points total in that period, as well as its lowest finish.
“We need to be more aggressive and we need to feel that it is the end of the world when we are not winning a game,” said Amorim, who was hired to replace former manager Erik ten Hag last November. “We are not scared of losing a game as Manchester United. We don’t have that fear anymore and that is the most dangerous thing that a big club can have. I think it’s a concern.”
Despite a historically bad league campaign, United can still salvage the season by winning the Europa League later this month, which would also secure qualification to the Champions League.
But Amorim believes the upcoming final against Tottenham may have played a part in the latest loss at Old Trafford.
“Everybody is focused on the final. The final is not the biggest thing in our football club,” he said. “We need to change a lot of things. If we don’t change the way we play and perform and feel this urgency of winning every game, we should not play in the Champions League.”
Amorim was hired after winning two Portuguese league titles with Sporting Lisbon. But he has not been able to turn United’s fortunes around.
Ten Hag was fired despite winning a trophy in each of his first two years at Old Trafford — the English League Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024. He also oversaw United’s worst season in 34 years last term — setting a new high for league losses with 14 defeats and a lowest finish of eighth.
United’s previous worst points total in the Premier League was 58 in the 2021-22 season.
With two rounds to go, the most it could amass this year is 45.
___
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
