Man Utd stunned by ASEAN All-Stars; Amorim accepts blame
KUALA LUMPUR: Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim did not mince words after his team's shock 1-0 defeat to the ASEAN All-Stars in the Maybank Challenge Cup at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium last night.
The loss stunned fans and drew boos at the final whistle, a rare reaction from the usually passionate and loyal Malaysian and Southeast Asian supporters of the Red Devils.
Still, the Portuguese tactician did not shy away from criticism, acknowledging the crowd's frustration in what was the team's first match of their post-season tour in Asia.
'I'm always guilty of the performance of the team, no matter what. Then the boos from the fans, I think it's something that we need maybe.
'If they (fans) see that it (the way Manchester United play) is not working, they will change the way they behave,' he said at a post-match press conference.
Amorim, who was clearly gutted with the result, said the 13-time English Premier League champions should have performed better and won the match.
The 40-year-old admitted his squad was sluggish and lacked the sharpness needed to overcome Kim Sang Sik's side.
While the loss was disappointing, especially since this was the kind of game they were expected to win easily, Amorim said what's more important now is to move forward and improve.
Myanmar's Maung Maung Lwin emerged as the hero for the ASEAN All-Stars, with his 71st-minute strike sealing a surprise victory over the English football giants.
Manchester United will continue their post-season tour with a match against the Hong Kong national team tomorrow (May 30) at Hong Kong Stadium.
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