Ruben Amorim has endured a difficult first season at Manchester United, overseeing one of the club’s lowest points of the Premier League era. The struggles reached a head when the Portuguese coach described his side as possibly the “worst team in club history,” a remark that sparked widespread debate. That controversial statement has now been revisited by a former United star, who pushed back on the comment: “It didn’t help.”
Since his appointment in November 2024, Amorim’s United collected just 11 points from their first 11 Premier League matches, alarming numbers for one of the biggest clubs in world football. Following another setback, a defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion on Matchday 22 of the 2024-25 season, the head coach addressed the situation bluntly.
In the post-match press conference in January, Amorim delivered the headline-grabbing assessment: “We are being the worst team, maybe, in the history of Manchester United, and I know that you want headlines. But I’m saying that because we have to acknowledge that and change it. So here you go, your headlines.“
Eriksen on Amorim’s claim
Christian Eriksen arrived at Manchester United in 2022 as a potential pillar of the club’s rebuild after impressive spells with Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan. Under Amorim, however, the Danish midfielder struggled to secure a regular starting role, with the team being a frequent subject of criticism from fans, media, and, at times, the manager himself.
Manchester United player Christian Eriksen.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Eriksen, now with Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, addressed Amorim’s remark directly: “That didn’t help. Yeah, that didn’t help at all. I mean, that was not… I don’t think that helped the players at all.“
see also
Amorim’s Manchester United reportedly join race for Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal star teammate
With United under constant media scrutiny, Eriksen acknowledged that the coach’s comments only intensified the pressure rather than shielding the squad. “Some stuff you can say inside and it’s not too clever to say outside, to put extra pressure and put an extra label on the players who were already trying to do their best,” he added.
“I don’t think that helped at all, no. Then if he’s right or wrong, whatever, but I think for us it was a bit of like, ‘Oh, here we go again. Another headline,‘” Eriksen concluded. Ultimately, the season did little to quiet the criticism, as United finished 15th, their lowest league placement since the Premier League’s inception.
Eriksen joined United as a free agent from Brentford after completing his remarkable comeback from a cardiac arrest. Over three seasons at Old Trafford, the midfielder made 107 appearances, scoring eight goals and providing 19 assists, while winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.
