Ruben Amorim: Man Utd boss says 'my job is so hard' after Tottenham loss

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said his job was "very tough" after his side's away defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, a loss that leaves United in 15th place in the Premier League. James Maddison's 13th-minute goal secured the victory for Spurs, marking Amorim's eighth defeat in 12 league games in charge. The Red Devils are once again in trouble, with Amorim facing an injury list of up to 12 players, forcing him to fill the bench with youngsters.

Since joining Manchester United, the 40-year-old Amorim has been candid in his post-match press conferences, and he displayed his trademark style again on Sunday. He told Sky Sports: "I have a lot of problems. My job is very tough, but I will continue my work, prepare for next week, and I will try to win again." Despite his team trailing for over 70 minutes, Amorim did not make a substitution until the first minute of added time, when he brought on 17-year-old Chido Obi.

The forward was one of eight teenage players on the bench, and Amorim said after the game that he did not field more young players in the game because he did not want to hinder their development. "This is the most competitive competition in the world," he told BBC Sport. "I am trying to be careful with them. I felt the team was trying to score, and I didn't want to make changes. But they will play."

Amorim continued: "I am here to help my players. I understand my situation, my job, I am confident in my job, and I just want to win games." He added: "The position in the table is my worry, I am not worried about myself." While United have had to cope with a lengthy injury list, their league statistics this season remain dismal: they have lost 12 of their 25 games (winning eight and drawing five), their most defeats in their first 25 games since 1973-74 (13), when they were eventually relegated from the top flight.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville believes there has been little sign of improvement since Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag in November. "The club needs to be patient, but I want to see performance levels getting higher and higher. This is a very ordinary level that Manchester United are showing every single week," he told Sky Sports. He added: "The best thing about him (Amorim's tenure) is his press conferences. This is a really poor Manchester United team."

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie Redknapp added: "They are so short of top players, and it is going to take a lot of time and patience. The problem is, when you are such a huge club like Manchester United, you don't want to hear that. It's hard to take if you are a Manchester United fan."