Christian Eriksen has spoken out on Ruben Amorim’s comments about his Manchester United side being the ‘worst team in history’, with the players suffering in the manager’s first season
Christian Eriksen has taken aim at Ruben Amorim’s claim that last season’s Manchester United team was “maybe the worst in history”. The Danish star has revealed the dressing room reaction to the comments, admitting that they hindered the team’s morale.
The former Sporting CP boss made the statement in January after a 3-1 loss to Brighton and Hove Albion. This marked their fourth defeat in five home games, and a meagre haul of 11 points since Amorim took over from Erik ten Hag.
This season, United have bounced back and are vying for a European spot, sitting just three points shy of the top four following their 1-0 victory over Newcastle United on Boxing Day. This is a significant step up from last season’s performance, where they ended up 15th in the Premier League and suffered a loss in the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
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Eriksen feels that the public criticism of the team only added to the pressure on the players during an already challenging campaign.
Speaking to The Times, he said: “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.
“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.
“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.'”
Amorim’s remarks followed a disappointing display against the Seagulls at Old Trafford in mid-January. Bruno Fernandes managed to equalise, but the suffering persisted as Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter compounded their woes.
The United boss has come under fire for his side’s displays this season, but last term it was the players who bore the brunt of criticism after struggling to reverse their fortunes despite a managerial change.
Amorim made waves with his assessment when he branded his squad as “maybe the worst” in the club’s 147-year existence.
He said: “In [the past] 10 games in Premier League, we won two. Imagine what this is for a fan of Manchester United. Imagine what this is for me.
“We are getting a new coach who is losing more than the last coach. I have full knowledge of that.
“We are the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United. I know you [media] want headlines but I am saying that because we have to acknowledge that and to change that. Here you go: your headlines.”
Eriksen’s deal at Old Trafford ran out in the summer before he joined Wolfsburg on a free transfer.
He featured 22 times under Amorim during his 107 matches at United, netting once. Fifteen of those appearances came in the Premier League, though he was named in the starting XI on just six occasions.
Eriksen said: “Yeah, he came in with his ideas. He tried to change things as you still see, tried to get it his way.
“Certain players for certain positions, for a certain style of play, that’s how he sees success. He has to change a lot because the players were not used to that system.
“Also, historically, United always liked a different system. And yeah, he’s been very honest and also, yeah, honest with me from the beginning. Very, very, very honest, I would say.”
