Ratcliffe confident United players not adversely affected by Amorim comments

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has no concern that Ruben Amorim describing his Manchester United team as maybe the worst in the club’s history will cause the players to lose faith in the head coach and adversely affect performance.

United are 13th in the Premier League with 26 points and a -5 goal difference before travelling to Fulham on Sunday for the late game. Ratcliffe’s view is that the squad understand Amorim has a fierce desire to win and can be passionate and that his outburst will soon be forgotten.

After last Sunday’s 3-1 loss to Brighton at Old Trafford, Amorim said: “In 10 games in the Premier League, we won two. I know that. We are the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United.”

On Wednesday the Portuguese expressed regret over his comments and said: “I was ­talking more for myself than my players because I was talking that [I am] a coach who starts out losing seven games in the first [15]. So it’s more for me.”

On Thursday United moved closer to automatic qualification for the last 16 of the Europa League with a dramatic late win at home to Rangers. Amorim has previously spoken of how avoiding the playoffs would allow a clear week of training to work more with the players and implant his tactics.