Ruben Amorim calls for greater fight saying Manchester United are “nowhere near” required level

Rúben Amorim insisted his Manchester United players must show more internal “ fight ” but warned his side remain far from the standards required after their dismal 1-0 defeat to 10-man Everton at Old Trafford.

United played 77 minutes against a depleted Everton side following Idrissa Gueye’s red card for striking team-mate Michael Keane , yet still succumbed to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s first-half finish, a performance Amorim described as a stark reminder of his team’s fragility.

The Portuguese coach, who had cautioned pre-match that United were “ far from perfection ,” saw those fears realised as his players squandered possession, made poor decisions in attack and failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage.

Reflecting on the unlikely flashpoint between Gueye and Keane, Amorim surprisingly echoed David Moyes’ sentiment that such confrontations can symbolise healthy standards, a level of accountability he believes is missing from his own squad.

“Fighting is not a bad thing,” he said speaking to media after the game. “ It doesn’t mean they don’t like each other. Fighting is that you lose the ball and I will fight you because we will suffer a goal. I hope my players, when they lose the ball, fight each other .”

Yet that desire, he stressed, must be matched by consistency, focus and tactical precision, qualities that abandoned United throughout a limp display.

“ We are not even near what we’re supposed to be ,” he added. “ Old Trafford was there saying, ‘we are all here to give a big step up,’ and I felt we were not ready. ”

With United slipping to 10th and momentum evaporating after October’s progress, Amorim admitted he fears a return to last season’s uncertainty.

“ I am afraid of returning to that feeling ,” he said. “ We need to be better, much better. ”

GFN | Finn Entwistle