'It's in the players' minds' - Ruben Amorim reveals Man Utd's disappointing form down to 'more than football' and admits he is 'embarrassed' by Red Devils' struggles

The United boss joined the club from Sporting CP in November with a lot of hype and expectation, following success in his native Portugal and a 4-1 dismantling of Manchester City in the Champions League. But things are yet to fully turn around for the Red Devils. Amorim has overseen 23 games in charge of the club, winning under half (11) and losing nine - five of which coming at Old Trafford. While he is confident he has the backing to turn the club around, he knows there are few positives to shine a light on.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Amorim said: "I feel that [people believe in me]. At the same time, I'm embarrassed by that because if you look at our performance and you see our team sometimes on the pitch, it's really hard for me as a coach to take a lot of positives."

There are few reasons to be positive about Manchester United this season. The Red Devils appear destined to finish in the lower reaches of the Premier League table, which would record their worst-ever finish in the process, and their abject performances offer little hope that they can win silverware. Amorim still has chances to win a trophy with either the FA Cup or Europa League but knows his side must improve - particularly at home.

Amorim added: "I think we are so nervous sometimes in the game and you can feel it in the small things. The way that we move sometimes, the understanding of the game, especially at Old Trafford.

"I feel that sometimes the players are in the dressing room and we go to warm-up and we go inside to start the game, I feel that the air is heavy. These kind of things I think we show a lot in the games.

"When we suffer a goal or we have a bad moment, you feel like the connection is not there, we lose ourselves. We get lost a little bit. I understand it is more than football, more than tactics, it is something that is in the players' mind."

The Portuguese coach has his sights set on Fulham, who the club face in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday. United are the holders of the competition and will be one of the favourites for the trophy should they see off the Cottagers. However, Marco Silva's side will not roll over easily.