Liverpool v Manchester United: Ruben Amorim suffering personal toll after miserable start

Portuguese coach admits to feeling the pressure as struggling side head to Anfield to take on bitter rivals

Alexander Isak scores Newcastle United's opening goal in their 2-0 Premier League win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on December 30, 2024. Reuters

Alexander Isak heads home to put Newcastle1-0 up in the fourth minute. EPA

Ruben Amorim became the first Manchester United manager in 45 years to lose three straight home games. PA

Striker Alexander Isak fires home for Newcastle but the goal was disallowed for offside. AFP

Alexander Isak, left, celebrates scoring Newcastle's first goal with Joelinton, Anthony Gordon and Lewis Hall. Reuters

Newcastle midfielder Joelinton beats Lisandro Martinez to the header and put his team 2-0 up in the 19th minute. Reuters

Joelinton celebrates after scoring for Newcastle United. Getty Images

Dejected Manchester United defender Harry Maguire after the loss that leaves his team seven points outside the relegation zone. Reuters

Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes celebrates at the end of the win at Old Trafford that lifted Newcastle up to fifth in the table. Getty Images

Alexander Isak scores his 13th goal of the season for Newcastle United. Getty Images

Ruben Amorim has admitted Manchester United's struggles are taking their toll on him after a troubled first seven weeks in charge.

Any initial new manager bounce Amorim enjoyed after replacing Erik ten Hag in mid-November has quickly evaporated and United will head to bitter rivals Liverpool on Sunday on a run of four straight defeats, six in their last eight, having slumped to 14th in the Premier League.

Amorim had warned after the 4-0 win over Everton at the start of December that the "storm will come" and so it has proven as United have lost their last three league games by conceding seven and scoring none.

Amorim's cross-city rival Pep Guardiola has admitted to sleepless nights and struggling to digest food during Manchester City's recent problems, and Amorim said he likewise felt the weight of United's nosedive - even with his family having moved over from Portugal to join him.

"You can see in my face, you can compare it to the way when I arrive and now," he said with a laugh. "Of course there is a lot of pressure. For me, it's the pride and also the performance. It's harder when we don't perform well.

"When I arrived I explained everything before, even when you guys were talking after Everton about the top four, I explained I was expecting this but it's hard to cope with all the problems and the bad performances and the losses.

"It's really hard. It's supposed to be hard. The only thing that can help me is training with the players. And I also have my family now here so it's so different and that can help me a lot."

United were atrocious in the first half of Monday's loss to Newcastle and lucky that Eddie Howe's side did not score four or five as United's aged midfield pairing of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro were overrun in the absence of the suspended Manuel Ugarte and Bruno Fernandes.

With results going against them, pressure is building as United languish just above the relegation zone at the mid-point of the season.

"They are anxious, sometimes afraid on the pitch," Amorim said of his players. "We have to cope with that. We need the leaders to step up to help the other guys and I'm the most responsible person here to improve the performances.

"You can see the players are trying, sometimes too anxious, too afraid to play football because this is a difficult moment and we will help the players to be better."

Having warned of that impending storm at the start of December, Amorim was forced to talk about the prospect of relegation this week, something he said might be the shock United's players need.

"I know it is a problem here to say that kind of thing but I think in this moment in our club everybody has to understand that, so let's focus on the reality. We know we are Manchester United, I'm not supposed to talk about these things but I wanted to be very clear with the fans and the players.

"I think that is really important in this moment. Anything can happen but we are focused to win games, to improve performances, so that is not an issue in the future."

Fans inside Old Trafford were still chanting Amorim's name during the second half of Monday's defeat, something the manager said felt "strange" under the circumstances, but he wanted to reassure the Old Trafford faithful that better times are coming.

"I will do my best," he said. "I will do my best. I am giving everything to help the club and we are going to succeed. I know it is hard to understand that in this moment, but we are going to succeed."