New York State

Arsenal legend Martin Keown fears Ruben Amorim has another big decision to make on one of Manchester United’s expensive recruits following another worrying performance.

The Red Devils are languishing in 15th place in the Premier League table after defeat at Tottenham on Sunday.

Amorim has enjoyed the briefest of honeymoon periods at the helm with the uplift provided by encouraging results against Manchester City and Liverpool having evaporated.

The former Sporting Lisbon boss remains wedded to the 3-4-3 formation that brought him so much success in Portugal, but few of his players appear suited to the system.

Summer recruit Matthijs de Ligt looked particularly uncomfortable at the weekend, particularly in possession with one incident at the start of the second half particularly concerned when he panicked and kicked the ball out of play for a corner.

The Netherlands international shot to prominence as a teenager at Ajax under Erik ten Hag but his reunion with his former manager at Old Trafford was a short-lived one.

De Ligt had hoped that a move to United would help reignite his career after difficult spells at Ajax and Juventus but he appears to have jumped from the frying pan into the fire.

Injuries to the likes of Lisandro Martinez means Amorim is likely to persist with the £43 million signing for now but Keown believes he doesn’t merit a place in the team on current form.

‘Look at De Ligt, the amount of money they spent on him by the way is almost obscene for a centre half,’ Keown said of the £42.9 million defender on talkSPORT. ‘He’s playing like a robot.

‘There’s times he can clear the ball and he puts it out for a corner. He just creates issues for the team.

‘Ruben Amorim needs to empower him with confidence, I’m not seeing any of that with him.’

Amorim, meanwhile, bemoaned how hard his job was after his injury-hit team lost in north London for the third time this season.

Amad Diallo sustained an innocuous ankle ligament injury in training last week but was not the only absentee against Spurs with Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer unavailable with knocks, while Leny Yoro and Christian Eriksen were ill.

The aforementioned six joined the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw and Mason Mount on the treatment table, which left Amorim with limited options.

‘I have a lot of problems. My job is so hard but I’m here to continue my job to the next week with my beliefs. I will try to do it, I will try to win again,’ he said.

‘In this moment it is more than the idea or system. In this moment it is like survive and to think the small things, improve the small things for the next game, to not even look at the table or the schedule or nothing.

‘Of course I have to because we have a lot of games and we have three competitions with a small squad at the moment.

‘That part is my part but the players, everyone in Carrington, just focus on the next game, the next training and that is our goal.

‘Just focus on the next game and let’s do everything to win some games to finish the season and then think in the big picture.

‘In this moment it is to try to keep the players healthy, recover some players and to focus on what we have to in the next game. That is our goal.’