'Ruben Amorim isn't to blame for Man Utd's struggles - it's clear who is at fault'

Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has placed the blame squarely on the Manchester United players rather than Ruben Amorim ahead of Saturday's crucial Premier League encounter with Sunderland. United have managed just two victories this entire campaign and find themselves languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League standings.

Their shock defeat to League Two outfit Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup set off warning signals for the Red Devils, whilst their 3-1 reverse at Brentford has intensified the scrutiny on Amorim heading into this weekend's fixtures. Our sister the Manchester Evening News reported this week that United currently have no intention of dismissing Amorim and are not considering potential replacements.

Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether this position would shift should they suffer defeat against Sunderland this weekend. When questioned about the turmoil at Old Trafford, Johnson maintained that the problems stem from elsewhere rather than the head coach and suggested he could envisage Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos maintaining their support for the Portuguese manager.

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"I can see Amorim sticking it out at United purely because the club might think they have to stand by a manager at some point," he told 10bet. "They've been through so many different names already, maybe they will decide that always chopping and changing isn't the answer.

"With the squad they've got, the players just aren't good enough to be challenging the top sides. That's why Manchester United are where they are, not because of the manager.

"They're getting beaten because the squad isn't good enough. The United of old is long gone.

"Everyone's expecting them to fight back into the top four, and they're just nowhere near that anymore. They've shown for years now that they aren't good enough, so I don't think you can just pin it on the manager.

"There's a lot that needs fixing. If they sack Amorim, they have a new manager who inherits the same squad. Then what?"

When pressed on who he could see taking over from Amorim should he depart, Johnson declined to suggest a replacement. Instead, he maintained that any incoming boss would face an uphill battle at United in their current state.

"You can't build consistency if you have no foundation," he explained. "It's a top club, they're a huge name.

"For years they were the best, and now they can't defend a straight, 50-yard pass. It's crazy to see. They need to get back to the basics. Not of the Premier League, but of schoolboy football.

"I don't think I could recommend any manager who would be the right one to fix this, because it's the same for years with these players. The same mistakes.

"I feel sorry for this manager and I'd feel sorry for the next one, because they will always be the ones getting the blame and getting sacked. In this state, there's no manager who could get them back to the top any time soon."

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