Gary Neville believes Manchester United's 3-0 loss to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday is actually a good thing for the club as it gives Ruben Amorim a clear impression of the level of talent he has at his disposal within the squad. The Portuguese coach was appointed manager of the Red Devils in November, replacing the outgoing Erik ten Hag.
He'd earned a reputation as a very talented manager through his exploits with Sporting CP and had turned the club into a dominant force in the Primeira Liga. Following Ten Hag's high profile issues at Old Trafford, Amorim's arrival promised optimism and a brighter future for the 13x Premier League champions. After all, he's one of the best managers in the world right now. Life in England has gotten off to a rocky start, though.
While United have picked up a few wins under their new manager, they've also been on the receiving end of some thrashings and their loss at the hands of the Cherries was the latest embarrassment for the club. Well, Neville, who spent his entire career playing for the team has revealed that the defeat might not be such a bad thing.
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Neville Thinks the Loss Helps Amorim Assess His Team
It gives him a brutally honest impression of the side
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Playing at home, you'd have been forgiven for expecting United to get a good result out of their meeting with Bournemouth on Sunday. Goals from Dean Huijsen, Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo meant it was anything but good for Amorim's side and they were thrashed in style. The defeat leaves them in 13th and in the bottom half of the Premier League at Christmas for the first time ever. Neville thinks the loss is a good thing for United, though, as it gives Amorim an honest impression of his team. Speaking on the Gary Neville podcast via the Daily Mail, he said:
"I think it's a massive positive that Ruben Amorim is seeing what he's got. In the past, there have been times where you can be kidded into thinking you have got a better group of players, because of decent results and moving up the league. But they are a mile away in every single way. He's given everyone a try by rotating the team and I do not think there will be many he's watched and thought, 'yes, I want you on the bus'.
"They are all very mediocre, and I don't know how it's happened - they are better than what they are showing, let's be clear. But it's a pattern. He's seeing what Manchester United fans have watched for 10 years, there has got to be a cultural overhaul. It is a real torrid time, there is not a lot to like about performance levels or the way they play. They are all lads trying their best, but they are not good enough to play for Manchester United, because this club aims to be at the top. It's quite clear watching these players, they are not good enough."
Just several matches into Amorim's tenure at Old Trafford, it's clear there's a lot of work to be done for the manager to succeed. Time will only tell whether he'll manage to do so or not.