Ruben Amorim strikes confident tone despite woeful Man Utd form ahead of huge Newcastle clash

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim delivered an upbeat message to supporters ahead of his side's year-ending Premier League clash with Newcastle United on Monday.

There hasn't been much for the incoming coach to get excited about during his first month in charge. Amorim has lost five of his opening ten matches - the worst record of any United manager in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

United limped to a 2-0 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Boxing Day which represented a third straight reverse and their fourth league loss of December. The club haven't lost five top-flight matches in the same month since September 1962.

Despite the dire statistics - of which there are many - Amorim extracted some positives by looking at the big picture. "If we are to make the long-term changes that we want to make to Manchester United, then we have to go through that step by step," the Portuguese boss told the United Review. "We are looking to implement a new way of playing, at the busiest time of the year, so there are short-term costs for our long-term aims.

"I will say, though, that the players are working hard to take on and use all the new information and instructions they are getting. The longer they do this, the easier it will become for them, and then the comfort and confidence in our game will grow."

The 39-year-old head coach added: "I have seen enough in the last few weeks to recognise that we have many of the ingredients we need for success, and I remain as convinced as I was on my first day here that we will achieve it."

Amorim opened his tenure with two victories and a draw but warned at the time that "a storm" was on the horizon. That prediction has been proven emphatically correct by a subsequent run of five defeats from seven games.

United's last match of 2024 is at home to a Newcastle side enjoying a dramatically contrasting run of form; Eddie Howe's high-energy outfit have racked up 14 goals across four consecutive wins.

While Amorim has acknowledged that his position will remain "in danger" if he doesn't achieve results quickly, he was keen to cast his eye over the broad vision of the club.

"We also have to work on longer-term objectives such as creating the right environment and culture for success, and working on the pathway between our academy and first team to develop players with the qualities we need to reach our high ambitions as a club," Amorim added.

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