If this is the 'worst Manchester United team in history' Ruben Amorim has to rip up the playbook

If this is the worst Manchester United team in history, Ruben Amorim needs to rip up the playbook and blood some new players.

Attention must turn to United’s cup runs, with the league in an irrecoverable state. United are 13th in the league, 12 points from a European berth and there is good reason to prioritise a healthy-looking Europa League campaign and FA Cup run.

How should Amorim go about prioritising those competitions? To overhaul his squad in the league and give an extended run to as many youngsters and peripheral players as possible, regardless of their performance.

Amorim’s incendiary comments after another chastening defeat to Brighton may seem dramatic, and more troublingly may seem reasonable, but it opens up the mindset that the only way is up.

Debating the accuracy of the comment, drawing comparisons to the Tommy Docherty era, is to miss the mindset that Amorim may be trying to impose upon his squad.

Amorim's comments mean the league can become a low-pressure environment where players have the full backing of their manager regardless of outcome to ensure their best football is left on the pitch.

This would include giving as many minutes as possible to the likes of Altay Bayandir, Leny Yoro, Toby Collyer, Ethan Wheatley and Joshua Zirkzee.

Not only would this tactic guard some of the bigger names from the ever-increasing levels of criticism with younger players possessing more credit in the bank among fans, it will give Amorim greater clarity ahead of the inevitable squad overhaul in the summer.

If indeed this is the worst Manchester United squad in history, what do these players stand to lose? If Amorim can, ahead of time, promise these players full 90s, an abundance of substitution appearances –