Manchester United legend Denis Irwin insists Ruben Amorim is not responsible for their horrendous run of form.
Amorim has won just three of his 11 Premier League games in charge of the Red Devils since taking the job in November, picking up 11 points.
Erik ten Hag had tallied 15 points in the 11 games before he was sacked and after a radical change in system, Amorim’s ideas don’t seem to be sticking.
The Portuguese revealed recently that he had only had six proper training sessions with his stars.
He was so furious with his players after the 3-1 loss to Brighton that he branded them ‘maybe the worst team in the club’s history’ and reportedly smashed the dressing room TV, but Denis Irwin claims it is not his fault.
‘I’ve said before, it’s down to the players. The manager can organise [the players], he likes a 4-3-3 [3-4-3], but it’s literally down to the players,’ Irwin told the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
Ruben Amorim is not to blame for Man United’s spiralling form, says club legend Denis Irwin
Irwin, who won seven Premier League and a Treble with United, has pinned responsibility on the players and the recruitment strategy
Manchester United have spent lots of money in recent seasons with little reward
‘You wouldn’t say [Manchester] United’s recruitment over the last ten years has been great either – that’s the biggest problem.
‘It’s been a difficult ten years [post-Sir Alex Ferguson]. Everyone kind of knew it was going to be a difficult period after Sir Alex left.
‘They’ve had a lot of experienced managers – Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] as well – that have looked like they’re going to do something, but that light has just closed.
‘They’ve won cups, like Liverpool did in their quiet period, but not been anywhere near the league in the last ten years. It’s going to take time.’
Irwin won seven Premier League titles at Old Trafford and was part of the Treble-winning team of 1998-99 under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Amorim is coming under increasing scrutiny and even admitted last month that he could be sacked by Manchester United.
Sporting director Dan Ashworth found out about this regime’s brutality when he was sacked in December just 159 days after joining the club in a lucrative move from Newcastle.
On Sunday Amorim claimed that his team could be the worst in United’s history but after a strong backlash he has since rowed back on that assessment.
Amorim labelled his Manchester United side as the ‘worst team in the club’s history’ after they lost to Brighton
He has since said he regrets his comments and deflected responsibility on to himself
Erik ten Hag had a better record this season than Amorim has had since taking his job
‘I was talking more for myself than for my players,’ he said. ‘If you look around, every time I speak – and I speak a lot – you push about the players are not good enough. I never put the spot on my players.
‘Because it’s the same players doing worse with a new coach, that is my only concern in the moment. I am not taking anything from the players, what I’m saying is we have to improve in the details.’
In a raw press conference after the 3-1 Brighton defeat, which gave them their worst start at home in the league in 131 years, Amorim had called their form ‘unacceptable’.
‘We are the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United,’ the 39-year-old admitted.
‘I am saying that because we have to acknowledge that and to change it. Here you go: your headlines.
‘It’s unacceptable to lose so many games. For any Premier League club, so imagine Manchester United?
‘The opponents are better than us in many details. I am just here to help my players, but we need to understand we are breaking all the bad records.
‘In 10 games in the Premier League, we won two. I know that. Imagine what this is for a United fan. Imagine what this is for me. We are getting a new coach who is losing more than the last coach. I have full knowledge of that.’
Denis irwin was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
