Why Ruben Amorim’s ‘shock’ relegation claim is the wake-up call that Man United needed for 2025

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Manchester United will end 2024 just seven points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

The 22 points earned by Manchester United so far this season is the lowest points tally the club has ever had in the Premier League at the end of a calendar year.

A miserable December ended with a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Monday evening.

Ruben Amorim was visibly frustrated by his side’s poor performance, and sadly that has been a recurring theme this month with United having now lost four games in a row.

The Red Devils are now in 14th place in the Premier League table and are 13 points adrift from the top four. Amorim – and supporters – are now starting to look down rather than up.

Ruben Amorim admits relegation is a ‘possibility’ for Man United

Since his arrival in November, Amorim hasn’t quite provided the ‘new manager bounce’ that fans, staff and players hoped for.

But the blame does not lie with Amorim. He has hardly had any time on the training ground with his players and recent performances have exposed just how poor the first-team squad actually is.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
14	Man UtdManchester United	19	6	4	9	21	26	-5	22

After losing to Newcastle, Amorim made a startling admission that the second half of the season may be a fight to avoid relegation.

As quoted by BBC Sport, Amorim said: “I think that it [relegation] is a possibility. We have to be clear with our fans.”

He later told reporters: “The team is not improving. It is a little bit lost in this moment and it is a bit embarrassing to be Manchester United coach and lose a lot of games.

“I think people are tired of excuses at this club. This club needs a shock. Everyone has to understand that.”

Man United needed a relegation wake-up call

United have been sleepwalking into mediocrity across every department and the responsibility to change that falls to Amorim.

Gary Neville believes Amorim’s United team is worse than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad and after spending £200m in the summer it seems there is no more money to spend in January to amend the horrible recruitment in recent windows.

READ MORE: Man Utd receive the news they would have wanted a week ago, Ruben Amorim’s bad luck summed up

Even mentioning the word “relegation” will raise eyebrows at Manchester United, but Amorim has no option but to remind his players of what is at stake.

There is no relegation-proof bubble that makes the Red Devils immune to going down. Current form suggests United are only headed in one direction and Amorim is trying to wake a sleeping giant with a slap around the face.

United fans rallied behind Amorim by chanting for him during the Newcastle defeat. It is clear they are fully behind the new head coach, and he will need every ounce of support possible as he looks to turn things around at Old Trafford.