Micah Richards doesn't fully accept Luke Shaw's claim that the players are to blame for Manchester United's shortcomings under Ruben Amorim this season
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Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim's tactics have been questioned following United's Europa League final defeat
(Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
Micah Richards disagreed with Luke Shaw as he pointed the finger at Ruben Amorim following Manchester United’s woeful Europa League final defeat.
The Red Devils’ worst top-flight season since relegation in 1973-74 was compounded by a 1-0 defeat in Wednesday’s all-or-nothing final against Tottenham in Bilbao. Shaw was involved as Brennan Johnson scored what proved to be the deciding goal as Spurs, who sit 17th in the Premier League, inflicted a first Europa League loss of the campaign on 16th-placed United.
After the match, Shaw robustly defended Amorim, saying he was “100 per cent the right person” for the job. However, the manner of the defeat has raised further questions about Amorim’s tactics.
On The Rest is Football podcast, as he hailed Ange Postecoglou's game management, Richards called out Amorim. The former Manchester City defender said: "We've talked about Ange and his tactics, how he has this high line and doesn't want to change that.
"But actually, when they got the goal, they sat in a low block. I thought, 'Fair play to you.' He's not listened to anyone, he did what the game demanded.
"That's the biggest thing I took from the game. You've got one manager [Amorim] who stuck to his principles and was hoping this game would get them out of jail. It didn't get them out of jail.
Micah Richards
Micah Richards has pointed the finger at Amorim(Image: YouTube/@therestisfootball)
"Then you've got a manager who thought, 'I have to adapt to what the game needs.' Sometimes you have to. Yes, the game was terrible, it was one of the worst finals I've ever watched, but who cares? Ange deserves big credit for adapting his style of play."
Then, after Alan Shearer said United needed a completely new spine of a goalkeeper, a centre-back, midfielders and a striker, Richards insisted Amorim's approach was not getting the best out of the players.
“They need two need two wing-backs as well,” added Richards. “When they attack, [players who] know how to get the best out of that position in terms of delivery into the box.
“How many times have we done analysis on United this season when a cross is mis-hit or pulled back to the wrong areas? And this is not me saying the United players are bad, they’re just bad in this system that the manager persists with. That is the problem.”
Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire of Manchester United
Luke Shaw insists the players are to blame
But a dejected Shaw stood by Amorim, insisting the players are to blame for a woeful campaign and admitting they have lacked self-belief. The England defender said: “I think a lot of it has to do with mindset. I think self-belief is a big thing in football.
“I think a lot of times this season we’ve gone into games not believing that we can win. I think there’s a lot of things that need to be changed. I think that’s why Ruben is 100 per cent the right person.
“He knows and he can see day in and day out at the club, not just on the pitch but off the pitch, around the club. The standards, the mindset… like I said, I think he sees everything. I think he knows what he needs to change.
“I think, of course, you can’t change everything at once. Of course, I think the results have not been good at all. But I think ultimately it’s us as players that step onto that pitch. It’s us as players that need to take the responsibility for these results.”