Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has admitted he is embarrassed to be in charge of the team in his current state, admitting the Red Devils have fallen into a relegation battle.
Monday's 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United left Amorim's side 14th in the Premier League table, just seven points clear of the relegation zone with just 22 points to their name after 19 games.
“It's also my fault”, said Amorim after the match. “I think the team is not improving. It's a bit lost at the moment. It's a bit embarrassing to be the manager of Manchester United and miss a lot of games. But we have to face difficult times in everyone's life.”
Asked if a fifth defeat in six league games had left United in a relegation battle, Amorim confessed: “It's really clear, so we have to fight. It's a really difficult moment, one of the most difficult in the history of Manchester United and we must deal with it honestly.”
He continued: “When you have moments like that, especially at big clubs, it's really difficult to turn things around, especially when you don't have a lot of time to train the basics, to cope with the difficult moments.
“So we have to accept our position, the way you see the league, everybody can beat everybody. So we have to commit and focus on survival.”
Next up for United is the unenviable prospect of a trip to Anfield to face runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool on January 5.