Ruben Amorim says he’s 'afraid' after Everton loss

Manchester United’s momentum under Ruben Amorim has taken a sharp hit after a 1-0 defeat to Everton at Old Trafford

The result will feel every bit as damaging as the scoreline suggests for a side trying to force their way back into the Premier League’s top positions.

The Red Devils came into the game on a five-match unbeaten run in the league, having strung together wins over Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton before draws with Nottingham Forest and Tottenham halted that winning momentum.

With other results over the weekend opening a window to climb the table, this felt like the kind of home fixture United simply had to manage.

Instead, it descended into one of the strangest and frustrating nights of the season so far.

In the 13th minute, Idrissa Gueye was sent off for violent conduct after clashing with his own team-mate Michael Keane, with Jordan Pickford forced to step in between the pair as tempers boiled over.

VAR backed the referee’s decision, leaving Everton down to 10 men for more than 70 minutes at the Theatre of Dreams.

From that point, United dominated possession, but never truly exerted control.

The Old Trafford side moved the ball too slowly, allowed Everton to reset into a compact shape and struggled to find the kind of tempo or creativity that had defined their recent 4-2 win over Brighton.

A solitary Everton goal proved enough, and by full-time the boos around the ground matched the players’ visible frustration.

Speaking after the match, Ruben Amorim did not disguise how damaging he felt the performance was, especially in the context of playing with a man advantage for so long.

He admitted he was “really frustrated like any other person that supports Manchester United. The way we started the game, the way we didn’t understand how we should play against 10 men.”

The Portuguese coach then went further, questioning where his side currently sit in their development under his watch, commenting: “We are not there, not even close to where we need to be to fight for top places in this league.”

He continued: “I said in many occasions that I understand that we have a lot to do.

“But I am really frustrated with the way we played the game, especially at home and understanding what happened this weekend with the other clubs, looking at the table and feeling everything.

“And the way we presented from the first minute is really frustrating.”

It’s clear that the Portuguese manager feels that Saturday’s showing fell well below his standards for this rebuild. However, he went one step further and admitted one key fear he has.

Referring to the club’s last campaign, which marked United’s worst-ever Premier League season, Ruben Amorim commented: “I feel afraid of returning this feeling of last season. That is my biggest concern.”

For Manchester United, the message is blunt.

Games like this, against 10 men and with rivals dropping points, are exactly the moments a side aiming for the top four has to seize.

As such, Amorim’s comments will read less like a public outburst and more like a clear challenge to his squad to respond quickly, with upcoming fixtures offering an immediate chance to show that this Everton setback is a painful lesson rather than the start of another slump.