Manchester United 'must survive' says Ruben Amorim after Wolves loss

Ruben Amorim said Manchester United must embrace survival mode to reverse their wretched run after a fourth defeat in five Premier League matches pushed them to 14th, eight points above the relegation zone.

United 'Ruben Amorim.'

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United’s Portuguese manager bemoaned the lack of time to teach his players as an obstacle to advancement following a sapping Boxing Day defeat at Wolves, when his captain, Bruno Fernandes, was sent off early in the second half after picking up a second yellow card.

Amorim is the only United manager to lose five of his first ten games in charge, in all competitions, since Walter Crickmer in January 1932.

"I manage, but I didn't train [the players]," said Amorim, who took over for Erik ten Hag six weeks ago. "They need time to practice, they're altering the way they play, and it's difficult for them and the staff to pass on all of the knowledge. When you don't have outcomes, it's even more difficult for people to believe.

"In this moment, all we have to do is survive and get some time to work as a team. We already knew it. I began my position with the team, a fresh plan, no time to train, and a lot of difficult games. It's a long voyage. We must continue to combat these negative situations. We need time to work. We also need to win games to sell the concept to the participants. If not, it is quite difficult."

Wolves' Matheus Cunha scored directly from a corner, which was nearly identical to Son Heung-min's goal in Tottenham's 4-3 Carabao Cup quarter-final triumph last week. Cunha said that his teammates were instructed to "manage" the United goalkeeper André Onana by compromising him.

"We analyze every match and try to understand the spaces we can explore," said Wolves head coach Vítor Pereira, who has maintained his 100% start since succeeding Gary O'Neil. "He [Cunha] is a top player, a special player, he can make the difference in the small details."

When asked if United might consider qualifying for Europe, Amorim replied: "We have a lot of things to work on in our club, both on and off the pitch, so let's focus on each game, each time. We must maximize every minute of training in order to develop the team."