With Man United closer to the relegation zone than Liverpool are to second place, new manager Ruben Amorim has conceded that his side are being dragged into the elimination fight.
Liverpool and Man United meet on Sunday in a battle with stark differences, with Arne Slot‘s side setting the standards at the top while Amorim’s men slump closer to the relegation zone.
After 19 games, the Old Trafford side sit in 14th position and just seven points above the drop zone – a margin that is smaller than the difference between the Reds and second-place Forest (eight).
With United succumbing to their ninth defeat of the league campaign in a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle on Monday evening, and the sixth of Amorim’s short reign, relegation talk emerged.
Asked by BBC Sport if his side are now in a battle to avoid the drop, Amorim said: “I think that it is a possibility. We have to be clear with our fans.
“We have to change something. This season will be really hard on everybody.”
How Gary Neville predicted Man United to finish above Liverpool this season is astounding, those are some special rose-tinted glasses!
Currently, Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton occupy the bottom three, but form over the last six games has United positioned as the second-worst team with just three points from an available 18.
Liverpool, conversely, have added 14 points to their tally in the same period – which is bettered by only Nottingham Forest (15), who Slot’s side will meet again on January 14.
No Reds supporter will be taking Sunday’s game for granted, form does go out of the window in these fixtures, but Amorim’s verdict on their current situation was damning.
Asked if it was embarrassing to be discussing relegation as manager of Man United, Amorim said: “Yes. It is also my fault in this moment.
“The team is not improving. It is a little bit lost in this moment, so it is a bit embarrassing to be Manchester United coach and to lose a lot of games.”
Here’s hoping another loss will come Amorim’s way on Sunday, adding to his misery of the poorest league start of any United manager for 103 years.
