Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim told star player 'will never respect or trust him again' following Newcastle defeat
Ruben Amorim has been told that a Manchester United star 'will never respect or trust him again' following their crushing defeat to Newcastle United.
Man United suffered their ninth league defeat of the season as they succumbed to Newcastle, who ran out 2-0 winners at Old Trafford on Monday.
The Red Devils conceded two first-half goals as Amorim's side just couldn't get going as the visitors dominated proceedings.
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In a bid to turn things around, Amorim ruthlessly replaced Joshua Zirkzee in the 33rd minute.
Zirkzee has failed to impress since signing for the club last summer and has been linked with a move away just months after joining the Premier League side, with a report revealing his true feelings on his future.
Explaining his decision to substitute the Dutch player, Amorim said: "You have to think about the team and also sometimes about the player because the player is suffering.
"I was there a few years ago and I know that he wants it because I saw it during the week. That is the more important thing and he’s suffering during the game.
"I felt the team was suffering and needed another midfielder to have more and then we started to have more ball with Kobbie Mainoo.
"But it was really, really tough on me to do that and I talked with Josh about that because it’s important to express the message.
"But I’m always thinking about the team and, in that moment, it was important for the team [for] Josh [to] go out."
Former West Ham United and Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker believes Zirkzee has 'lost all respect' for Amorim following the manager's cut-throat substitution.
"It’s a tough experience for a player and a tough pill that Ruben Amorim will have to swallow," Reo-Coker told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"As a player, when you go through a moment like that, you need to think about the human element.
"He will look at Ruben Amorim and never trust him again. He will be able to look at him and say 'good morning boss' but he will not have any respect for him deep down.
"It’s an admission from Amorim that he got the team wrong.
"He’s going to have to try to fix the relationship because he will probably have to go back to him at some point and get him back on side and wanting to play and compete.."
Zirkzee has made 26 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring four goals.
It remains to be seen whether he'll feature against Liverpool on Sunday.
Topics: Ruben Amorim, Joshua Zirkzee, Football, Man Utd
Nasir Jabbar