Ruben Amorim has been told one of his players is simply not “Manchester United quality” following their latest Premier League disappointment.
United’s struggles under Amorim continued as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to a struggling Tottenham side on Sunday.
James Maddison’s first-half strike sealed all three points for Spurs, handing the Red Devils their 12th league defeat of the season.
The loss saw United slip to 15th in the table, behind an Everton side that was recently in a relegation battle and sacked Sean Dyche only weeks ago.
Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison was unimpressed by United’s display, particularly calling out £36.5m signing Joshua Zirkzee, who started but failed to make an impact. The Dutch striker missed a crucial chance late on, heading wide when he should have scored.
“I’m not being disrespectful, but some of these players wearing a United shirt are not of Manchester United quality,” Morrison told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“It was so poor from Joshua Zirkzee. The most important thing was the three points and the clean sheet for Spurs. Manchester United will be disappointed, and apart from Alejandro Garnacho, there wasn’t much to be positive about.
“Ruben Amorim has a lot of injuries, but he must be counting down the days to summer so he can sell some players and bring in his own signings.
“United fans will have to suffer before things improve because who in this team can truly make a difference? Not many. Tottenham’s replacements made them stronger United’s didn’t.
“Be careful what you wish for. Manchester United fans criticized Scott McTominay, but many would take him back in this team right now.”
Meanwhile, Jamie Redknapp warned that the club’s problems would not be fixed overnight, urging patience despite the club’s massive expectations.
“They are so short of top players it’s going to take a lot of time and patience,” Redknapp told Sky Sports.
“But when you’re a club the size of Manchester United, patience isn’t what fans want to hear. It’s very difficult to watch if you’re a United supporter.”
Amorim, meanwhile, was left frustrated by his team’s inability to convert their chances.
“That was the difference in the game they scored, and we didn’t,” Amorim admitted.
“We had opportunities. We created chances on the counterattack, but in the end, they took theirs, and we didn’t.
“We need to recover players we might have some back for the next game. We have to stick together, finish the season strong, and start fresh.”
With the season quickly slipping away, United fans will be hoping Amorim’s summer rebuild can turn things around.