A disastrous 0-2 defeat to Newcastle at Old Trafford has left Man United in further crisis. After four defeats at home, the Red Devils are currently 14th and just seven points above the relegation zone.
Responding after the defeat, coach Ruben Amorim admitted: "Man United are in a relegation battle, that's really clear. This is one of the most difficult times in the history of the team and we need to face it."
The Portuguese strategist also asked his players to regain their focus and confidence in the context of the Red Devils being too vulnerable. He said that the team is having difficulty turning the game around when the opponent is behind. At the same time, the players have not yet been trained in the basics to deal with similar situations.
Against Newcastle, Man United had 10 shots but only 1 on target. The ineffectiveness of the attack prevented Ruben Amorim and his team from turning the game around when they let the opponent take a 2-goal lead after only 19 minutes of play.
On the defensive side, the Red Devils continued to lose in high-ball situations. The trio Matthijs de Ligt - Harry Maguire - Lisandro Martinez had a day to forget when they were exploited by Newcastle's attack and revealed too many fatal weaknesses.
The 39-year-old coach also received a lot of criticism for choosing Christian Eriksen and Casemiro in midfield. The slowness of the two names above made Man United unable to withstand the opponent's fast counter-attacks and long ball play.
This weekend, the Red Devils will have a “less good, more bad” away trip to Anfield. Currently, Liverpool is flying high with the top position in the rankings and 8 points ahead of the second-placed team. Can Man United end the winning streak of Arne Slot’s team or continue to sink deeper into crisis with a series of 4 consecutive defeats in the Premier League?
