Manchester United’s crisis runs deeper than Europa League hopes, says Amorim

MANCHESTER: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim says the club has far more pressing issues than the upcoming Europa League final, as they endure their worst top-flight season since relegation in 1974.

After a dismal 2-0 home defeat to West Ham United on Sunday, Amorim didn’t mince words. “Everybody is thinking about the final. The final is not the issue. We have bigger things to think about,” said the Portuguese coach. “I’m talking about myself and the culture in the club and the culture in the team. We need to change that. It’s a decisive moment in the history of the club.”

Amorim, who replaced Erik ten Hag in November, has been unable to arrest the club’s Premier League decline. United have slumped to 17 defeats in 36 games and sit 16th in the table. They’ve managed only two league wins since January 26 — both against already-relegated Ipswich Town and Leicester City.

Their current seven-game winless streak matches their worst run in the Premier League era, and Sunday’s loss marked their ninth home defeat — equalling an unwanted club record.

Although Europa League glory against fellow strugglers Tottenham Hotspur could still deliver Champions League football, Amorim warned it would be a false positive. “Everybody here has to think seriously about a lot of things,” he said, signalling a deep-rooted crisis at one of England’s most storied clubs.