Ruben Amorim stated that Manchester United must adopt a "survival mode" to break their ongoing slump following a fourth loss in five Premier League matches, which left them in 14th place, just eight points above the relegation zone.

The Portuguese manager attributed the lack of progress to insufficient time for coaching his players, particularly after a draining Boxing Day defeat at Wolves, where captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off for a second yellow card early in the second half.

Amorim's record is historically poor, becoming the first United manager to lose five of his first 10 games in charge across all competitions since Walter Crickmer in January 1932.

“I manage, but I haven’t had time to train the players,” Amorim explained, who took over from Erik ten Hag six weeks ago. “They need time to adjust. We’re completely changing the playing style, which is very challenging for both the players and the staff in terms of transferring information. When results aren’t coming, it’s even harder for the players to believe in the process. Right now, we just need to survive and buy time to work with the team. I knew what I was getting into—starting with a new team, new ideas, and no time to train before a series of tough fixtures. It’s a long journey, and we have to keep fighting through these difficult moments. We need time to work, but we also need to win games to sell the idea to the players. Without victories, it’s almost impossible to get them to believe.”

Wolves took the lead with a goal directly from a corner, Matheus Cunha’s strike mirroring the one Son Heung-min scored for Tottenham in their recent Carabao Cup victory over United. Cunha revealed that his teammates had been instructed to target United’s goalkeeper, André Onana, by putting him under pressure.

“We analyze every match,” said Wolves’ head coach, Vítor Pereira, who extended his perfect record with consecutive victories since replacing Gary O'Neil. “My staff and I look for spaces to exploit and try to prevent the opposition from doing the same. Cunha is a top player, capable of making a difference in the smallest details.”

When asked whether United should have aspirations for European qualification, Amorim was focused on immediate improvements: “We have a lot of work to do, both on and off the pitch. We need to take it one game at a time and maximize every minute of training to improve the team.”