Glenn Murray
Former Brighton striker on the Football Daily podcast

Looking at Manchester United's last six games, they get beaten by Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle.

Then all of a sudden it's a big game away at Liverpool and they turn up. They get a point.

They beat Southampton 3-1 but their opponents were the better team for 80 minutes and then they get beaten 3-1 by Brighton again.

I have to question the character of this group. They turn up for games against Manchester City and Liverpool, but what about the other games?

Image source, Getty Images

When you look at the stats, Ruben Amorim was slightly exaggerating when he called his team "maybe the worst" in the club's history. But not by a lot.

At this stage of the season, only 13 Manchester United teams have had a lower points tally in the history of the club - the last time being in 1986-87. Here are some other stats that show how badly they are performing:

• This was United's sixth home Premier League defeat of the season, their most from their opening 12 home matches of a league season since 1893-94.
• They have conceded the first goal in each of their past five Premier League games at Old Trafford - their joint-longest such run in the competition, also doing so five times in a row from August to October 2023.
• United have lost 10 of their 22 Premier League games this season - the earliest into a league campaign that they have hit double figures for defeats since 1989-90 under Alex Ferguson.

United have been relegated five times - most recently in 1974. It still seems unlikely that will happen this term, though Amorim did say last month it was a "possibility".

Nigel Reo-Coker
Former West Ham midfielder on the Football Daily podcast

I couldn't believe what I heard. I thought my ears were deceiving me.

I feel Ruben Amorim is too honest. He needs to be a bit more of a politician. Him doing that and putting it in the public domain now puts more pressure on the players.

Saying that he was starving for leaders and the players are not performing, you are criticising the players so much now that you think how they are going to perform for him. I just hope he has given them a different message in the dressing room compared to that.

Manchester United have collected 11 points from 11 league games since Ruben Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag in November - three wins and two draws.

Sunday's 3-1 defeat by Brighton was the fourth loss in their past five home games in the Premier League. Bruno Fernandes' penalty was United's only shot on target.

United are 13th in the table - 10 points clear of the relegation zone but seven behind 10th-placed Fulham.

Image source, Getty Images

From that cheeky Brighton post to Ruben Amorim, who, in case you missed it, said that his side could be "the worst team in the history of Manchester United".

Is he exaggerating or could he be spot on?

Vote thumbs up for yes, down for no.

You can have a listen to what Amorim said in the video pinned to the top of this page.

That stat about six wins out of seven for Brighton against Manchester United was something that found its way on to the Seagulls' official X feed, external, complete with 'on fire' and hand clap emojis.

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler on his side doing the double over Manchester United, winning 3-1 at Old Trafford on Sunday to extend their recent record to six wins in seven Premier League games against them:

"I am very happy and proud for the team because they showed commitment this week - they had a tough period where they showed great performances but didn't get the results they deserved, but today they completely got what they deserved.

"They worked hard, they did the details right, they did the small margins needed to win a game here and I am really proud and happy for them."

And so that leads us back to Old Trafford, and Manchester United's 3-1 defeat to Brighton.

Let's hear from Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler first before getting into those Ruben Amorim quotes.

Brighton's win - a third in a row in all competitions and eighth of the season in the Premier League - saw them move up to ninth in the table, just four points off the top four.

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou told Sky Sports he hasn't lost faith in turning around the club's form.

"If you look at the situation we're in, it will eventually dissipate. I certainly hope and believe it will," he said.

"We'll give ourselves the opportunity to get consistency in performance and results.

"I certainly haven't lost belief or determination to turn it around and the players showed in the second half that they haven't either."

However he told BBC's Match of the Day that changes he made to the team put Spurs on the back foot and ultimately saw them fall short: "First half we gave Everton plenty of opportunities to hurt us, which they did, and second half was much better...but unfortunately it was not enough.

" There is always encouragement for the players but ultimately we have fallen short again and that is the main thing, we have to find a way out of the situation we are in."

Back to that yinyang of football, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou did not leave Goodison Park with the same "fantastic feeling" as Everton counterpart David Moyes.

But the Spurs boss remains defiant...

Image source, Getty Images

Another Premier League manager with every reason to be cheerful this morning is new Everton boss David Moyes.

He saw his side score their first goals and claim a first win of his second spell in charge at Goodison Park, seeing off Tottenham's second-half fightback to move four points clear of the relegation zone:

"It feels fantastic [to win] because it has felt relatively difficult in the week coming in. the past two games - Aston Villa and Tottenham - were difficult opponents.

"We didn't do too bad in midweek but we just couldn't get there but today we have done a really good job, first half particularly. We have scored three and could have scored more.

"When they got the goal back it was a little bit scary, especially the last five or six minutes."

Nuno Espirito Santo on how his Nottingham forest side had to fight to claim victory over struggling Southampton:

"It's a proven demonstration that this is a very tough league. Everything that you want to achieve you really have to fight for.

"The game is never over. Every team competes very well and Southampton is competing really well and made our second half really hard.

"Credit to them, they are playing to survive, they fight for every ball, all the duels - that's a warning for us."

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest came through a pretty dark hour last season and are certainly enjoying a fresh new dawn during the current campaign.

They are third in the Premier League table, level on points with second-placed Arsenal, after Sunday's 13th win of the season.

Let's hear from manager Nuno Espirito Santo...

Image source, Getty Images

That story about a school football tournament ending in penalty joy triggered a recent memory for me that perfectly demonstrates the yinyang of football.

My son James' primary school Aldwyn lost a semi-final in a festival at Manchester City's academy on Friday via a penalty shootout.

His good friend Jack had the decisive spot kick saved and was understandably in tears.

But watching Jack's team-mates gather round him in support, and the goalkeeper Jake walking off the pitch with a comforting arm around his shoulder, shows what sport and teamwork is really all about.

Learning how to take lessons from defeat is a footballing rite of passage.

It's always hard to hear at the time, but sometimes the darkest hour comes just before dawn...

Moving on to the City Ground and starting with Southampton manager Ivan Juric who, more than anyone right now, is in need of a pick-me-up.

His players almost handed it to him with a rousing late recovery against Nottingham Forest:

"Second half we played with the heart, with energy and intensity. We did two goals, we had other chances to score. Second half is how we have to play," he said.

"Last 30 minutes we fight, that's what I want to see...but still we are not ready for 90 minutes and that's really a pity."

I was going to say kick a club when they are down, why don't you Gareth, but good recovery there with a kindly nod to the Ipswich fans.

Kieran McKenna did his best to find the positives in what he acknowledged was a "gulf in class" between his relegation-threatened Ipswich side and defending champions Manchester City:

"A painful game for us beaten by a world-class side. They were too good for us on the day. There was positives in the early parts of the game. We actually had a lot of good moments in the first 20, 25 minutes but after the first goal they [City] hit top form and top confidence.

"We weren't able to find a response and weren't able to stop them today. We weren't at our best and they were outstanding. When that's the case the gulf between us was too much on the day."