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Ruben Amorim Has Made Man United A LOT WORSE – Gary Neville

Ruben Amorim

Gary Neville launched a scathing assessment of the first few months of the Ruben Amorim era at Manchester United in the wake of the club’s most recent setback.

The Red Devils were handed a chastening 2-0 defeat by Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Sunday, which consigned the club to a seventh Premier League defeat under Amorim.

In fact, United have now lost five of their seven home league matches under Amorim, in a worrying run of form for the club.

The new head coach has not had long to bed in with his new players, given a lack of pre-season training and limited tactical planning with the club in midweek action, and reports suggested he had even fallen out with Marcus Rashford.

The manager frequently suggested that he did not want players who would not give their ‘maximum’ after Rashford claimed he was ready for a new challenge after being left out of the Manchester derby earlier in the season.

As such, amid the club’s torrid form, Gary Neville has predicted that things will only go downhill for United before the end of the campaign, and indeed the current progression – or lack thereof – could hinder next season’s plans too.

‘I thought it would get better when Ruben Amorim came in, he said on the Gary Neville Podcast. ‘I thought the enthusiasm and the new system, I thought they’d buy into it the players, and we’d see a bounce.

‘We’ve seen the absolute opposite. It’s got a lot worse and that’s surprising.’

He continued: ‘But there’s going to be a lot more pain towards the end of the season and it is going to be damaging.

‘They’re obviously going to stick with Ruben Amorim, but the more you lose, the more difficult it is to convince the players of the idea. The idea that he talked about in the early days.

‘You need the players to buy into it, but if they lose with it, and they keep getting criticised, the spotlight comes on them more and the fans are leaving unhappy.

‘You can’t keep losing. It will depress the thoughts of the players, to the point whereby they’ll lose faith with the idea.

‘It’ll damage the start of next season. He has to do something. He can’t change his approach because he’s died in a ditch on it. And rightly so. I think he’s lost more games at Manchester United since he’s come than he lost in the last 75 at Sporting.

Much was made of the Portuguese head coach’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system that brought great success at Sporting Clube de Portugal, and how it would fare under rigorous testing in the Premier League.

Results alone would so far suggest that things are not quite going to plan for Amorim, though it is worth pointing out that he has been largely unable to make additions to his side in order to bring in personnel better suited to his tactical plans.

However, as Neville points out, he must now try to adapt to the players that he has in a bid to get the best out of them if he is to stand a chance to rescue United’s season.

‘He will not be enjoying this but I think he’s got to simplify it. He might not like [Rasmus] Hojlund, he might not think [Joshua] Zirkzee is great or might not like other players. He’s got to pick the players he has and stick with them.

‘It can’t keep going on as it is they have to somehow start to play better but where’s it coming from? But I have to say at this moment in time it’s a sorry situation, a very sorry situation when United play.’

United did bring in Patrick Dorgu, the deal finalised over the weekend, to bolster Amorim’s ranks at left wing back.

With Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw struggling for sustained fitness, the former now moving on loan to PSV Eindhoven, the Red Devils were thin in the ranks on the left of defence.

Wing back, though, as Neville adds, is a specialist position requiring both attacking and defending prowess, and as such the acquisition of the Danish international from Lecce should be a major boost to Amorim.

 

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Premier League

Liverpool Fans Are Starting To Get Concerned About £150k p/w Star After Wolves Display

Liverpool Fans Are Starting To Get Concerned About £150k p/w Star After Wolves Display

Arne Slot’s arrival at Anfield has sparked a complete transformation in Ryan Gravenberch, who now looks every bit a complete number six and a vital cog in his new manager’s system.

Originally brought in by Jurgen Klopp two summers ago, the Dutchman has seemingly become the beginning, middle, and end of Liverpool’s defensive midfield conundrum.

What was once seen as the Reds’ weakest link – prompting a pursuit of Martin Zubimendi – now appears a problem solved. However, a new concern has emerged: just how much more Gravenberch can endure in Liverpool’s grueling February schedule. With fixture congestion piling up, the Anfield faithful are calling for Slot to give the former Ajax wonderkid a well-earned breather.

Against Wolves, the 22-year-old looked like a shadow of his usual self as Liverpool clung to their 2-1 lead at Anfield. But a deeper dive into his workload this season makes it clear that his recent dip in form is more fatigue than flaw.

Concerns Raised Over Ryan Gravenberch

Gravenberch has been one of two players to reap the rewards of his compatriot’s arrival at Liverpool, alongside Cody Gakpo, who’s flourished since returning to his natural left-wing role. However, unlike his attacking counterpart, the defensive midfielder has rarely had the luxury of a rest, thanks to the lack of depth in his position.

In the 2023/24 season, while Alexis Mac Allister took on the primary number six role, Gravenberch played only 1,121 Premier League minutes. This stands in sharp contrast to this season, where he’s already logged 2,139 minutes in the league, with 14 games still to play.

Easily one of the best midfielders in the world right now, it’s crystal clear to see why Slot has given so much time to Gravenberch, especially since his position has become one of the most important on the pitch.

The confidence and calmness of his displays in the engine room, complemented by his running power that is very reminiscent of a certain Yaya Toure and neat spins reflective of old Anfield favourite Thiago Alcantara, have been a breath of fresh air.

Against Wolves, Gravenberch’s performance seemed like a silent plea for relief. Even the strongest engines need a pit stop, and after committing three fouls, winning just five of his 11 duels, being dispossessed twice, and failing to win a single tackle, it was clear his energy reserves had been drained. The Dutchman’s shields were down in his latest appearance, leaving Liverpool fans urging for him to be rested. Thankfully, a solution is only as far away as the bench.

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Premier League

Everton v Liverpool: 22 Stats To Know Ahead Of Merseyside Derby

Merseyside Derby

Liverpool visit Everton in the Premier League on Wednesday night – read a statistical preview of the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

The rearranged game – which was postponed in December due to adverse weather conditions – is set to kick off at 7.30pm GMT.

Here are 22 facts and figures to know ahead of the 245th official meeting between the Reds and Blues…

This match is Liverpool’s 122nd and last visit to Goodison Park, including two FA Cup semi-final appearances.

This will be the latest in a season that the first derby of a campaign has been played. The previous latest was in 2005 when the Reds won 3-1 at Goodison on December 28.

Liverpool have won 99 matches against Everton in all competitions (drawn 77, lost 68). If the Reds win on Wednesday, it will be the fifth time an English league side has beaten another on 100 occasions since the formation of the Football League in 1888 (Arsenal 111 v Everton, Manchester United 106 v Aston Villa, Liverpool 103 v Aston Villa and Arsenal 100 v Manchester City).

To date, the clubs have won 41 times apiece in their clashes at the current home of the Blues, with 37 draws.

Liverpool have only lost two of their last 27 Premier League games against Everton (won 12, drawn 13), with those defeats coming in February 2021 (2-0 at Anfield) and April 2024 (2-0 at Goodison Park).

Everton v Liverpool is the fixture to have seen the most red cards (23) and been drawn 0-0 the most (12) in Premier League history.

Liverpool have scored more 90th-minute winners against Everton in the competition than any other side against a single opponent (five).

Everton last won consecutive league Merseyside derbies in the 1984-85 campaign.

Liverpool’s loss in this fixture last season ended a 12-game unbeaten away run in the Premier League against Everton (won three, drew nine). They have not lost consecutive visits to Goodison Park since a run of three between 1992 and 1994.

The Reds are unbeaten in their last 19 Premier League games (won 14, drawn five). On both previous occasions they have gone into an away league game against Everton on an unbeaten run of 19+ matches, they have lost (1-0 in October 1978 while on a 23-game run and 1-0 in March 1988 when on a 31-game run).

This is Arne Slot’s first meeting with Everton as Liverpool head coach. Only one Reds boss has won their first ever league Merseyside derby when that match has come away from home, with Kenny Dalglish overseeing a 3-2 victory in September 1985.

The Reds are the only side across the top four tiers of English football who remain unbeaten away from home this season (played 12, won nine, drawn three). Only in 1987-88 (15) and 2019-20 (13) have they enjoyed a longer away unbeaten run from the start of a top-flight campaign.

Liverpool rank top in the Premier League for goals (56), xG (54.7), shots (411), shots on target (159), and big chances (100) this season. They have also spent 47 per cent of their games in the lead, the highest percentage of any side in the division this term.

This is just the third time in the Premier League that Liverpool are facing Everton while top of the table at the start of the day. The others were a 5-2 win and a 0-0 draw in 2019-20, with the Reds going on to win the title that season.

David Moyes won three of his 22 Premier League Merseyside derbies in charge of Everton between 2002 and 2013 (drew seven, lost 12). This is his first match against Liverpool as Toffees boss since a goalless draw at Anfield in May 2013.

Moyes will be taking charge of a game against Liverpool for the 43rd time in his career. Only seven men have ever managed against the Reds more often.

Everton have won their last three Premier League games by an aggregate score of 8-2 – it’s as many wins as they had in their previous 21 league games, and as many goals as they had scored in their previous 14.

Only Liverpool and Nottingham Forest (10 each) have kept more Premier League clean sheets than Everton this season (nine), with the Toffees recording shutouts in each of their last two games.

Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in 21 goals in Liverpool’s 12 Premier League away games this season (13 goals, eight assists). It’s the joint-most by a player on the road in a single campaign in the competition’s history, level with Andrew Cole in 1993-94 (12 goals, nine assists).

Ryan Gravenberch can make his 50th league appearance for the Reds.

Luis Diaz could make his 100th start for Liverpool in all competitions.

Alisson Becker has kept seven clean sheets in his 10 appearances against Everton – all in the league.

 

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Premier League

Amorim Explains Rashford’s Loan Move to Aston Villa

'I'm Frustrated' - Amorim Laments As Man Utd Lose Again

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has revealed that Marcus Rashford’s departure on loan to Aston Villa was due to differences in football philosophy.

Rashford, 27, joined Villa on a loan deal that includes an option for a permanent transfer valued at £40 million, with the Midlands club covering up to 75% of his wages.

Amorim explained that despite Rashford’s talent, he struggled to adapt to the coach’s tactical approach.

“I couldn’t get Marcus to see the way you’re supposed to play football and to train the way I see it,” Amorim said.

He acknowledged that player-coach dynamics can vary, saying, “Sometimes you have one player who is really good with one coach, and the same player with another coach is different. I just wish the best to Rashford and Unai Emery, and I hope they can connect because he’s a very good player.”

Rashford made notable contributions under Amorim, scoring his first goal during a 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town and starting key matches against Everton and Viktoria Plzen.

Villa fans will now anticipate seeing the forward make an impact under Unai Emery’s management.

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