Manchester United secured a crucial home 2-0 victory against Sunderland. According to former player Gary Neville, that should not mean that manager Ruben Amorim is “off the hook” just yet. On his recent episode of the Gary Neville Podcast, Neville didn’t pull any punches. Despite the team’s impressive cup win, Marinho warned against letting the sporting achievement blind you to the more acute problems with Amorim’s time at the club.
Speaking ahead of the fixture, Amorim admitted that merciless press criticism has demoralised a generation of Manchester United talent. He was particularly vocal about the effect of this on his 3-4-3 system. After the match, Neville said that for all the excitement of the win, Amorim’s record of five losses from six matches at Manchester United does not look good. The team has lost too many disappointing games on his watch, which has fueled relentless chatter about his job status.
“I’ve not got any time for excuse mentality shortcuts blaming other people – it’s the worst thing that you can do in life,” Neville remarked, highlighting the need for accountability within the squad. He pointed out that if players are influenced by pundits’ opinions, they may not be suited for the club, stating, “If pundits are getting into your head then you shouldn’t be playing for the club.”
The win against Sunderland was the tonic for Manchester United needed and it comes just as they break for international duty. For Neville, the reality is that Amorim is always going to be under a microscope, especially with the team’s shortcomings through this season so far. He noted that the victory was historic. It fails to absolve the piling pressure on the man at the top, who finds himself in the midst of an increasingly hostile storm, from supporters and pundits alike.
Amorim had previously defended his players, asserting, “My players, I guarantee you, they are listening to all the opinions and they are putting that inside because we are not winning games. They have to believe in me.” His remarks show the difficulty of keeping faith when beset by pressure from all sides.
Manchester United’s stiffest test yet, the local derby against Liverpool, looms large just 3 days away now on Sunday 19 th October. Neville stressed that this match will be an important step for both Amorim and the club. In particular, he noted that a win against their bitter state rivals might place them in an unassailable position. Notably, this win might ease some of the increasing scrutiny on the manager.
Plus, as Neville reminisced about former defender Alan Hanson’s critiques of Manchester United’s use of young players in the 90’s. “Do people not remember Alan Hanson criticising us when we broke in as young kids saying that you can’t win anything with kids?” Neville asked, comparing his own experiences with media scrutiny to the daunting times that the club is currently navigating.
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