Former Everton captain Izzy Christiansen believes that Manchester United players have “become accustomed to quite low standards” in recent seasons, after Ruben Amorim’s side fell to their third straight home loss for the first time in 45 years.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast after Newcastle left Old Trafford with three points, Christiansen said: “This performance was not good at all. There is nothing that I could personally take from this and say I knew exactly what they were trying to do.
“But I don’t think that is a reflection on [Ruben] Amorim, I think this performance was more of a reflection on the players.
“I think the standards that have dropped at this football club are deeply engrained in these players. It has been happening for a long time now and the players have become accustomed to holding each other accountable to quite low standards.
“It is going to take a long time for Amorim to try and lift things up. He has tried things – he has dropped Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho – but it seems like each week there are different news stories coming out of Carrington around a player’s behaviour or something like that.
“The spotlight is on Ruben Amorim – and he is taking it – but these players, no matter who your manager is, cannot play like that. It is a matter of personal pride.”
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