New Delhi: Following a heavy 4-1 defeat away to Newcastle United, Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim acknowledged the criticism directed at him and his team but insisted that the pain of losing outweighs any personal condemnation.
The loss at St James’ Park marked United’s 14th league defeat of the campaign, equalling the total number of losses from the entire 2023-2024 season. While Amorim’s side showed some brief positive spells, defensive frailties allowed Harvey Barnes to score twice. The result leaves United in 14th place with only six league matches remaining.
“I understand [the criticism], but I don’t personally care about it,” Amorim stated post-match. “There’s nothing worse than losing games. People can say whatever they wish. I don’t feel the need to defend myself; our position in the table speaks for itself.”
He elaborated on the team’s struggles during the match: “When we conceded the second goal early in the second half, our heads dropped. We need to be mentally stronger and manage those situations better. We must improve in many areas, and our league position accurately reflects our performances this season.”
A clear message from Ruben.#MUFC || #NEWMUN
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 13, 2025
Amorim made five changes to the starting lineup, potentially with an eye on the crucial upcoming Europa League quarter-final second leg against Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday. 1 The most notable change was the decision to leave first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana out of the squad entirely, handing Altay Bayindir his Premier League debut. However, the Turkish international endured a difficult debut, making an error that led to Newcastle’s fourth goal. Defending the selection, Amorim commented, “Even with a different starting XI, we can’t know what the result would have been.” He implied the rotation was necessary following events in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final.
What next?
Amorim’s focus must now shift entirely to European competition, as Manchester United prepare to host Lyon for the decisive Europa League quarter-final second leg this Thursday.
For the 14th time this season Amorim watched his team lose in the league, reaching the same number of defeats the side endured over the 2023-2024 season. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
