Ruben Amorim remains under constant pressure at Manchester United, with growing concerns he may not be the man to lead the club back to the promised land.
After a dismal start to the 202425 season, INEOS opted to part ways with Erik ten Hag.
Enter Amorim United went in search of the next top-tier manager and, after surveying their options, settled on Sporting CP’s Amorim.
At the time, the Portuguese tactician had Sporting Lisbon flying high.
His fluid 3-4-3 system, built on aggressive high pressing, rapid counter-pressing to win the ball high up the pitch, and attacking patterns that relied on wing-backs and direct wingers exploiting half-spaces, made Sporting one of the most dangerous sides in Europe.
INEOS must have seen him conquer Portugal and go toe-to-toe with elite sides like Manchester City in the Champions League, and felt he was the man to restore United’s status.
They believed he was the one to take United back to the top.
But 11 months on, doubts persist.
Amorim took charge with United just four points off the top four, yet struggled to steady the ship at Old Trafford.
Things went from bad to worse; United finished 15th and lost the Europa League final to fellow strugglers Tottenham Hotspur.
That poor end to the season was, to some extent, understood.
One argument is that the squad was still adapting to Amorim’s style. Another suggested that he was trying to implement a system with players who were ill-suited to it.
The summer transfer window was billed as a turning point for United.
INEOS-backed Amorim signed players tailored to his system while clearing out dead weight. On his part, the United boss had a proper pre-season to embed his ideas.
Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko, Diego Len and Senne Lammens arrived. Meanwhile, a host of players deemed surplus to requirements were offloaded, either permanently or on loan.
Enter 202526 Statistically, United have improved. The Red Devils lead in several key metrics.
But results have eluded them. With two wins, a draw, and two defeats, and their elimination in the Carabao Cup by Grimsby, many feel United should be doing better.
Some argue Amorim is holding the team back. Doubts linger over his system, and while many believe he must adapt to get the best out of his squad, he has remained firm on his ideas.
Questions have also surfaced over his team selections, with critics pointing to puzzling decisions, such as benching Kobbie Mainoo.
The combination of underwhelming results and questionable choices has fuelled the “Amorim out” agenda.
INEOS, for now, are standing firm. Reports suggest they are still backing him to unlock the team’s full potential.
But even as they take that bold stance, murmurs persist. Links to other top managers continue to surface, hinting that if results do not improve, INEOS may be forced into a tough decision.
While it may be wise to consider someone with Premier League experience, there is no guarantee United will restrict their search to English football.
If they do look abroad, Eintracht Frankfurt manager Dino Toppmoller wants to be in the conversation.
Bundesliga boss pleads his case Toppmoller is one of Europe’s rising managerial talents.
He served as Julian Nagelsmann’s assistant at RB Leipzig (202021) and Bayern Munich (202123). When Nagelsmann was dismissed in 2023, Eintracht Frankfurt took a chance on him.
At Deutsche Bank Park, he has injected a competitive edge into the side.
He guided Frankfurt to a sixth league finish in his debut season, followed by a third-place finish last term.
Four games into the new campaign, they sit sixth in the league log.
His high-energy, high-pressing style, built on rapid transitions and exploiting space behind the opposition’s defence using vertical passes, has earned plaudits. And now, he has made his interest in the United job known.
Speaking to Sport Bild, as relayed by Sport Witness, the German revealed his ambitions:
“Thinking about abroad, I often played computer games as a child, always with one team: Manchester United. That would definitely be nice someday, because it’s an extraordinary club.
“When I was a teenager, Manchester United was, along with Real Madrid, the biggest club of all.”
Landing the United job now “harder” than ever Some may look at Toppmoller’s exploits in the Bundesliga, his history with Nagelsmann, and argue he is worth a gamble.
But what would make that different from the appointments of Amorim and Ten Hag? Both showed immense promise before crossing into the Premier League, and both failed to replicate their success in England.
If INEOS do decide to part ways with Amorim, they must get the next appointment right.
They will not just hire anyone.
Featured image Alex Grimm via Getty Images
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Daniel Onguko Since Dan was introduced to Manchester United in 2008, he has lived and breathed the club. What started as being a fan evolved into writing about United, allowing him to feel part of their journey. Hopefully, his work might even help rekindle your love for the kings of Manchester.
