Ruben Amorim says players are ‘afraid’ amid form slump

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has admitted that his players are looking anxious and afraid on the pitch, which is not helping them produce the right results. United have lost their last four matches, including three in the Premier League and haven’t been able to find the back of the net in these four losses.

United finished 2024 at the 14th position in the Premier League standings and they were clear of relegation places by only seven points.

The Red Devils have a daunting start to 2025 as they will begin their year against table-leaders Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

“They [the players] are anxious, and sometimes afraid on the pitch,” Amorim said.

“We have to cope with that. We need the leaders to step up to help the other guys and I’m the most responsible person here to improve the performances.

“You can see the players are trying, sometimes too anxious, too afraid to play football because this is a difficult moment and we will help the players to be better.”

Since taking over the charge in November from former coach Erik Ten Hag, the Portuguese has lost six of his 11 matches.

Amorim admitted it hasn’t been an easy start for him but showed confidence that he can help the team turn a corner.

“You can see in my face, you can compare it to when I arrive and now,” Amorim joked when asked about the pressure of managing United.

“Of course there is a lot of pressure. For me, it’s more the pride and also the performance. It’s harder when we don’t perform well.

“When I arrived I explained everything before, even when you guys were talking after Everton about the top four, I explained I was expecting this but it’s hard to cope with all the problems and the bad performances and the losses. It’s really hard.

“The only thing that can help me is training with the players. And I also have my family now here so it’s so different and that can help me a lot.”