Sir Alex Ferguson delivers a concise two-word message to Ruben Amorim before Manchester United’s costly loss to Brighton.

Ruben Amorim has revealed what Sir Alex Ferguson told him on the Old Trafford pitch ahead of Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Brighton on Sunday.

Since Erik ten Hag’s departure in November, United have earned just 11 points from 11 matches under Amorim, who described his side as “maybe the worst” in the club’s 147-year history after their 3-1 loss to Brighton, courtesy of goals from Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma, and Georginio Rutter.

Amorim was brutally honest in his post-match assessment. “In [the past] 10 games in the Premier League, we won two,” he said. “Imagine what this is like for a Manchester United fan. Imagine what it’s like for me. We have a new coach losing more than the last coach. I fully understand that. We are maybe the worst team in Manchester United’s history. I know you [the media] want headlines, so there you go.”

Ahead of the match, Amorim briefly spoke with Sir Alex Ferguson, who had participated in a tribute to Denis Law, who passed away last week. Amorim shared that Ferguson encouraged him to “keep positive” despite his challenging start at United.

Despite the struggles, Amorim remains committed to the 3-4-3 formation that brought him success at Sporting. “I knew it would be difficult to implement a completely new idea in this moment, but when you lose games and fail to win three in a row, it gets even harder,” he admitted. “Everyone here is underperforming, and we must accept that. It’s unacceptable to lose so many games. The opponents are better in many details.

“I’m not helping my players right now. We’re in a very difficult situation, with bad records—losing at home, losing in the Premier League. I know we can succeed, but I’m not naive. We need to survive this moment. But I won’t change my approach, no matt

er what.”