Preview for Manchester United v West Ham
Manchester United will not have a better chance to record a first league win since mid-March when struggling West Ham visit Old Trafford on Sunday.
United will be on the crest of a wave after easing into the final of the Europa League with a hugely impressive 7-1 aggregate win over Athletic Bilbao.
And the players know there are places up for grabs for the clash with fellow underachievers Tottenham in Bilbao on May 21.
The midweek win was welcomed and gives United the chance to salvage something from a desperate season by winning a European trophy and qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
But it doesn’t mask all their problems, as boss Ruben Amorim has admitted on several occasions. That hasn’t spared the Portuguese from criticism with former United captain Roy Keane particularly vocal in his belief that United should be doing better.
MANCHESTER UNITED ARE THROUGH TO THE EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL 👏
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“We are trying to do our best but I agree,” Amorim said when Keane’s observations were put to him. “We can do better. I don’t have anything to say about the criticism because we deserve it.
“If we cannot accept everything in this kind of season, we are in the wrong business. I have full acknowledgement of that.
“I agree with all the critics… we have to take the risk to get a lot of criticism from everybody, because the standards of Roy Keane and all of these guys are really high.”
Another club that has faced criticism this year are West Ham, who are currently on an eight-game winless streak in the Premier League.
The Hammers started the season with Julen Lopetegui at the helm but the Spaniard failed to impress with Graham Potter taking over in January. The former Brighton and Chelsea boss has struggled in equal measure and the East Londoners will arrive in Manchester on Sunday sitting just one place above the relegation zone.
They started their summer rebuild today by announcing four stalwarts – Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski, Danny Ings and Vladimir Coufal – will be leaving the London Stadium at the end of the season.
