Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim said his side are ‘nowhere near’ where they need to be after an embarrassing 1-0 home loss to 10-man Everton.
Everton played more than 75 minutes with a numerical disadvantage after Idrissa Gueye was sent off for striking team-mate Michael Keane, but United still failed to break down a side that had managed only one away victory so far this season, against Wolves. The defeat was the first time United have lost a Premier League home match after the opposition received a red card — a run in which they had previously won 36 of 46 such games. It also handed David Moyes his first win at Old Trafford as an opposing manager on his 18th attempt.
The result came on the anniversary of Amorim’s first year in charge. He admitted the team are far from the level required to challenge at the top. ‘We are not there, not even near the point that we should be to fight for the best positions,’ he said, adding that the squad still has a lot of work to do and must be ‘perfect’ to win games. ‘We were not perfect today,’ he added.
Amorim reflected on the mood around the ground, saying the supporters arrived expecting a sign of progress but the team were not ready. ‘Old Trafford was there saying “we are all here for a big step up”. And we were not ready,’ he said, insisting that recent praise about the team’s evolution should not obscure how far they still have to go: ‘These five weeks, everyone is praising our evolution. But I’m always saying the same things: we are nowhere near the moment we are meant to be in this club.’
He also voiced concern about slipping back toward last season’s poor form, when United finished 15th with no trophies and missed out on European competition. ‘I feel afraid of returning to this feeling of last season,’ Amorim said. ‘That is my biggest concern. We need to work together. The players are trying but we need to be better.’
Former players and pundits were sharply critical. Gary Neville described the display as ‘an embarrassment’ on his podcast, saying it ‘smelt of complacency’ and was unacceptable for a club of United’s stature. He dismissed injury explanations, praised Everton’s fight and spirit, and noted the home fans responded with collective boos at the final whistle. ‘You can lose football matches, but you can’t lose them like that. That’s nowhere near good enough,’ he said.
Jamie Carragher targeted the manager’s tactical decisions, questioning why Amorim stuck with a 3-4-2-1 formation and effectively five defenders even after Everton went down to 10 men. ‘I don’t understand how you can stick with something so steadfastly in a situation like that,’ Carragher said, suggesting the defeat will lead many to question the manager. He acknowledged the players should have done more but warned Amorim will take much of the blame for the performance.
The loss leaves United with added pressure and unanswered questions about their readiness to mount a serious challenge this season.