At full-time following Wolves' win over Manchester United, fans sang in the mist for their new Portuguese manager. It wasn’t United fans hollering for Ruben Amorim, but Wolves for Victor Pereira, who led them to only their second home league win of the season.
While Wolves have been bad this term, United are going from bad to worse. At Wolves, the team suffered a third consecutive defeat and are 14th in the Premier League, eight points ahead of the relegation zone which Wolves left following their victory.
United are struggling to score and face tough games against Newcastle United, Liverpool and Arsenal away in the FA Cup. Amorim is the first United manager to lose five of his opening 10 games since Walter Crickmer in 1932.
When he was first approached by chief executive Omar Berrada about the United job, Amorim asked if he could join in the summer. Berrada insisted that he joined immediately. Asked if he was worried about this – the current United mess – happening, Amorim replied: “There’s no point talking about that or thinking about that. I’m here and must focus on the job. It’s part of football to have these difficult moments. I already knew that was going to be tough.
“You expect to win more games, to have players with more confidence to sell the idea and to work and improve things. At this moment it's really hard. We must survive to have time and then to improve the team.”
Amorim is also aware that big clubs must win matches. Asked if he was comfortable that he had the time and space to do his job, he replied: “The manager of Manchester United can never, no matter what, be comfortable, and I know the reason that I’m in.
“I know that if we don’t win, regardless, if they pay the buyout [for me] or not, I know that every manager is in danger and I like that. I like that because that is the job, so I understand the question.
“You can argue that I have been here one month and I’ve had four training [sessions], but we are not winning. That is the reality and I'm quite comfortable with that.”
Amorim communicates well, but his team desperately needs wins and to stop conceding goals from set pieces. Wolves scored their opening goal direct from a corner – which they had been practicing.
“But you can see that every corner nowadays is an opportunity,” said Amorim. “So sometimes you forget the small guys and the talented guys. You put 11 guys to corners or free kicks if you can do everything inside the box.
"Those are the rules and we must not cry about it, but do the same thing. So we must focus on doing the same thing to the opponent – that is my goal at the moment”.
In form Newcastle United are next – at Old Trafford on Monday. Only Everton and bottom of the table Southampton have failed to score in more games this season than United.
“We have to expect that any play from Newcastle near our box is going to make the stadium nervous and our players have to cope with that,” said Amorim. “They’re a very strong team, very fast with a lot of pace, with a lot of time working with the same coach, and we want to be competitive and try to win the game, that's all.
“We have to fight against everything because our supporters are always there, but they are tired of this moment.”
So are the United fans. What does Amorim want from them against Newcastle?
“Nothing,” he said. “I would not dare to ask anything of our fans. They give us everything: a full stadium, they’re always supporting, clapping loss after loss. I just want to give something to the fans, not ask something of them.”
Captain Bruno Fernandes, who was sent off again, will miss the Newcastle game. As will midfielder Manuel Ugarte after picking up another booking at Wolves. Out of form Lisandro Martinez took over as captain at Wolves, but former captain Harry Maguire has impressed his boss.
“He works really well,” said Amorim. “He’s focused on the job, not what people say. He has no [doesn’t make] excuses, even if he had some tough moments. I think in that department he is an example, so he is there to play to help the team. He’s trying to do that.”
They’re all trying. And they’re getting nowhere as United continue to sink.
