Ruben Amorim 'on his knees': Man United despair with Lisandro Martinez

Man United manager Ruben Amorim was visibly distressed after the defending for Tottenham’s third goal as Lisandro Martinez was bypassed “at will”, according to Gary Neville.

The North London club seemed in firm control by going 3-0 up but two mistakes from Fraser Forster saw a tense ending to the final 20 minutes of the match.

The win sees the Lilywhites join Liverpool, Newcastle and bitter rivals Arsenal in the last four of the Carabao Cup for two-legged semi-final ties.

However, for Dominic Solanke’s third goal, former Man United defender Gary Neville was less than impressed with Martinez’s defending, and nor was the Old Trafford manager.

He said on Sky Sports: “Ruben Amorim goes down on his knees again, his team could be down on the their knees.

“They don’t get the line right. Lisandro Martinez is slightly deeper. Johnny Evans is stepping up and it’s men vs boys. He just goes past Lisandro Martinez like he’s not there and Johnny Evans.

And at will, pretty much does what he wants, Dominic Solanke. I just said, any of those front players for Spurs would be in that Manchester United starting 11 and they’re proving why.

“Can’t get near them, not close enough”.

Ruben Amorim has inherited disarray at Man United

To say it’s been a tough start for the Portuguese manager would be an understatement. In his first eight matches, he has recorded four wins, three losses, and a draw.

The manager has made his feelings clear through both words and actions. He controversially dropped Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho from the squad against Manchester City.

Against Spurs, he fielded a rotated squad featuring fringe players like Victor Lindelöf and Altay Bayındır, but none impressed as they conceded four goals. Even Martínez, usually a defensive wall, delivered a poor performance, further compounding United’s struggles.

One thing is clear: the Portuguese coach aims to make his mark on the team as quickly as possible. Reports suggest that United are “under pressure to sell” this January, which could explain Rashford’s exclusion amid transfer speculation.

In a recent interview [via Henry Winter], the forward openly expressed his desire for a “new challenge,” a statement that has drawn negative reactions from pundits.

For now, Amorim’s United side sits a disappointing 13th in the Premier League, out of the League Cup, and set to face Arsenal away in the FA Cup on January 12. The challenging start for the 39-year-old looks set to get even tougher.

In other news, a Brazilian striker has seemingly dropped a transfer hint to Man United.

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