Ruben Amorim Unleashes Brutal Criticism Against Man Utd
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim expressed his anger following what he witnessed from his squad during Monday evening's loss to 10-man Everton at Old Trafford.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall netted the decisive strike for the Toffees during the first half, despite David Moyes's team already being reduced to ten men after Idrissa Gana Gueye's strange dismissal for lashing out at colleague Michael Keane.
United, missing the injured pair of Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško, failed to find an equalizer despite controlling the ball, with only six of their 25 attempts testing Everton keeper Jordan Pickford.
A win would have propelled United into the Premier League's top five, just two points behind second-placed Chelsea, but the Red Devils now find themselves in 10th position following their fourth loss of the campaign.
Amorim: We Were Not Ready to Perform
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Amorim revealed he hadn't been swept up by United's recent encouraging performances—and declared it came as no shock that his players remain "nowhere near" the required standard.
"We haven't reached that level, not even close to where we need to be to compete for top positions," the Portuguese coach stated. "There's significant work ahead. We must be flawless to secure victories, and we fell short today.
"Looking at this weekend's results, we should have approached the pitch with greater enthusiasm. Old Trafford was ready, expecting 'a major breakthrough'. But we weren't prepared.
"Over these five weeks, everyone has been celebrating our progress. However, I consistently maintain the same position: we're far from where this club should be.
Neville Tears Into 'Complacent' Man Utd
The showing also provoked criticism from Manchester United icon Gary Neville, who was providing commentary. Frequently vocal when his former club suffers defeat, he once again delivered a scathing evaluation of an "unacceptable" performance and insisted the absences of Cunha and Šeško couldn't serve as justification.
"It fell well short of standards," Neville commented on his post-match analysis. "That represented a truly disappointing evening for Man Utd, at times it was humiliating.
"Disregard [the injuries to Cunha and Šeško], there are no justifications. I won't consider that excuse. Everton controlled the match with eleven players and with ten, through different means of control, but they dominated via their determination and resolve.
"It's overconfidence, and overconfidence is destructive. The moment you believe as a footballer that you simply need to appear on that field as Manchester United or any club and you can perform, you're finished. It reeked of overconfidence. They weren't engaged from the start. That's a serious setback for United.
"You cannot transition from the determination they displayed in certain matches to that performance. It undermines confidence and trust. We're attempting to establish faith in a manager and in a squad.
"The supporters voiced their displeasure collectively at full-time. It was audible, and justifiably so. That was an extremely weak showing. It feels as though you've advanced two or three steps, everyone's feeling somewhat optimistic, and you've just returned to square one.
"Defeats can happen, but not in that manner. That's completely inadequate and unacceptable."
United's chance for redemption arrives at Selhurst Park next weekend with their Sunday encounter against Crystal Palace beginning at the uncommon time of 12 p.m. Struggling West Ham and Wolves follow next, before Bournemouth visit Manchester 10 days prior to Christmas.