11 May 2023 , 19:02
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Former Manchester United assistant coach Chris Armas has hit back at claims he was jokingly compared to Ted Lasso during his time at Old Trafford.
Armas joined United in 2021 as part of interim boss Ralf Rangnick's coaching staff, having been in charge of New York Red Bulls when Rangnick was overseeing Red Bull's football operations. However, Rangnick and Co were unable to make the desired impact as United ended up finishing sixth, 13 points off Champions League qualification.
In what was a turbulent season for the Red Devils, Rangnick's methods were questioned and Armas, a former USA international, was also criticised. Along with reports that some players had likened him to Lasso, were claims Sir Alex Ferguson told Armas "you'll need more than that here, son" after he had informed the legendary manager of his credentials.
However, in a new interview Armas has dubbed the claims "lies" and says he "became an easy target". Armas told the Athletic : "When I initially got there, it wasn't like, 'Oh, the American is here'. It didn't feel like that.
"You talk to players and Cristiano [Ronaldo] is like, 'Oh, you're from the Bronx.' They read a little bit about you, they know a few things here and there. But I would say at some point, when things were getting tougher for the club in terms of results, yeah, I think I was an easy target.
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"Things came out publicly, the training sessions, what have you, that frankly were just not true. So journalists, or whoever is putting that out there, just flat-out lying. Just lies.
Armas was part of Ralf Rangnick's coaching staff at United (AFP via Getty Images)"So that part, is it because I'm American? I'm not sure. But I think I became an easy target at a certain point in the season when things weren't going well."
Armas left United at the end of the season when Erik ten Hag took charge and he ended up joining Jesse Marsch's coaching staff at Leeds in January. And when Marsch was sacked in February, Armas remained part of Javi Gracia's setup until he was axed earlier this month and replaced by Sam Allardyce.
"I would say my time in England was a positive," Armas added, reflecting on his stints at both United and Leeds. "It was well-received by so many people in and around where I lived and inside the clubs, and that's what meant more to me than some things that were written at the time."