Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim insisted his side are “nowhere near” where they should be after an “embarrassing” defeat to 10-a-side Everton.
Everton played lightly for more than 75 minutes after Idrissa Gueye received a shocking red card for punching teammate Michael Keane, but Amorim’s side were unable to break down a side who have only won one away game all season – against bottom side Wolves.
It was the first time United have lost at home in the Premier League due to a red card shown to an opponent, having won 36 of the previous 46 games in which this had happened. It was also manager David Moyes’ first win at Old Trafford, his 18th as an opposition manager.
But overall, it was a new low for Amorim, who has had a disastrous first year as United manager.
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Watch for free: Premier League highlights of Manchester United vs. Everton
“We are not there yet and we are not even close to where we should be competing for the best position,” Amorim said.
“We have a lot of work to do. We have to be perfect to win games and today we weren’t perfect.
“After seeing the result at the weekend, we should be on the pitch with a different kind of excitement. Old Trafford said, ‘We’re all here for a big step up.’ But we weren’t ready.”
“Everyone has praised our progress over the last five weeks, but I always say the same thing: we are still not close to the moment we should be at this club.”
Amorim also admitted he was worried about a return to the feeling from last season, when they finished 15th and missed out on trophies and European football.
“I’m scared of going back to the feeling I had last season,” Amorim said. “That’s my biggest concern. We need to work together. The players are trying, but we need to be better.”
Manchester United lost 1-0 to 10-man Everton.
Neville: It was embarrassing | Kara: Amorim will be interrogated.
Gary Neville branded United’s performance at Old Trafford a “disgrace”, but Jamie Carragher feels Amorim’s qualifications will be called into question based on that performance.
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Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, the former Manchester United right-back suggested that the performance in the 1-0 defeat to Everton at Old Trafford “reeked of complacency”, adding it was an embarrassing night for Ruben Amorim.
Amorim came under fire throughout the match for sticking with the much-criticized 3-4-2-1 formation and keeping five defenders on the pitch despite having a player advantage.
“It just wasn’t good enough,” Neville said on the Gary Neville Podcast. “It was a really bad night for Man United and it was embarrassing at times.
“Forget about[Sesco and Cunha’s injuries]. There are no excuses. It’s not fun at all.
“Everton dominated them with 11 men in a different way than they dominated them with 10 men, but they dominated them with fight and spirit.
“That’s complacency. Complacency will kill you. As a footballer, the moment you step on that pitch and think you can play for Manchester United, you can play for any football club, it’s over.
“There was a sense of complacency[from United]. They didn’t mean it from the beginning and that’s bad for United.
“You can’t just take the fight they showed in a particular game. It just erodes confidence, it erodes trust. We’re trying to build trust in the coach and we’re trying to build trust in the team.
“At the end, the fans booed all at once. It was loud, and rightly so. It was a really poor performance. It was like we took a couple steps forward, and everyone felt a little bit better, and then we were back at square one.”
“You can lose a football game, but you can’t lose like that. It’s not good enough and it’s not acceptable.”
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After Manchester United lost 1-0 to Everton, leaving the Toffees down to 10 men after just 13 minutes, Jamie Carragher told MNF he believed Ruben Amorim was to blame.
Carragher added: “It’s a bad night for the manager. There was so much time left in that game (after Everton went ahead with 10 men).
“I don’t understand how you can be so resolute and stick to something when you basically have one player up front and you’re not really up front, but you don’t need three players[at the back].
“It’s one of those moments where a lot of people really question the coach in the wake of that loss. They’re going to look at the players and we know the players have to try harder, but a lot of the responsibility tonight will be on the coach.”
