Ruben Amorim admits Man United stars are ‘anxious and afraid’ ahead of Liverpool showdown – as he issues rally cry for leaders to ‘step up’ inside the Anfield cauldron
- United have lost five of their last six Premier League games under Amorim
- However, Liverpool are in fine form and are five points clear at the top of the table
- LISTEN NOW: It all starts! New formation, some new faces, but the optimism is gone at Old Trafford
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim admits his players go into their toughest game of the season at Liverpool ‘anxious and scared’.
Amorim has done his best to lighten the mood at Old Trafford this week after five defeats in six games left the club in the bottom half of the Premier League.
With league leaders Liverpool also in unstoppable form, some pessimistic United fans even fear a repeat of the humiliating 7-0 defeat at Anfield two seasons ago.
A candid Amorim described his team’s lack of belief in recent weeks: ‘They are anxious and sometimes scared on the pitch.
‘We have to deal with that. We need the leaders to step up and help the other guys – and I am the most responsible person here to improve performance.
‘You see that the players are trying. Sometimes they are too anxious and afraid to play football because this is a difficult moment.
Ruben Amorim has admitted his Manchester United players are ‘anxious and scared’ ahead of their clash with Liverpool
Five defeats in six games have left United in the bottom half of the Premier League
They take on Liverpool, hoping to move eight points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table
“For two days we just did the basics, focusing on our idea of playing football and doing our thing.
“The fans are tired of this moment, so it’s strange to hear them chanting my name. I give everything to help the club. I know it’s hard to understand right now, but we’ll make it happen.”
Amorim welcomes back captain Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte, both of whom were suspended for Monday night’s 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle, but Marcus Rashford has been ruled out almost permanently due to illness.
The United boss laughed about how two months in the Old Trafford hotseat has already aged him. “You can see it in my face, you can compare the way I arrived and now!” he said.
‘Of course there is a lot of pressure. The only thing that can help me is training with the players and I also have my family here now. They arrived on the 27th. It was a good day.’