Many Manchester United fans have already made their decision on head coach Ruben Amorim, and why would anyone blame them? The former Sporting manager sold dreams at his unveiling at Carrington, but his stay at the Theatre of Dreams has been nothing short of a nightmare.
17 wins from 47 games in all competitions, including only eight wins in 31 Premier League games, is not good enough.
To make matters worse, Amorim has picked up 31 points in 31 games for United and is the worst-performing manager in the league since his arrival in November last year.
After a summer where they spent around £200m on the attack, a return of six goals in the opening five games is unacceptable. A solitary win in those five games has made the entire fanbase restless, and there are already calls for Amorim’s head.
A poor start to the reign One has to remember that the Portuguese head coach wanted to take charge at Old Trafford this summer, but was reportedly handed a “take it or leave it” offer by United.
A shift from a 4-3-3 formation to a 3-4-3 shape, unfortunately, took months to implement. Consequently, Amorim went from one of the best young coaches in the world to one of the worst United managers in history.
That ‘label’ is not entirely unjustified after a 15th-placed finish in the Premier League, and a 1-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final last campaign. But one cannot ignore the fact that following a full pre-season, United are already looking like a better team on the pitch.
Multiple positives in new season According to data shared by the Premier League, United rank first in expected goals (xG), and shots registered in the entire league. They are also the league leaders in shots inside the box, touches in the opposition box and successive open play crosses.
Bryan Mbeumo has made the most runs in behind the opposition defence, while Bruno Fernandes has created the most chances (14) in the league.
The only area that the Red Devils are lacking in is finishing – and it is perhaps expected after a complete overhaul in attack over the summer.
Matheus Cunha arrived early and was fully involved in pre-season, while Bryan Mbeumo joined up late. Benjamin Sesko, interestingly, wasn’t involved at all in pre-season after only making the move to Old Trafford in August.
Once those three strike up an understanding, sparks should fly. Unfortunately, time is precious commodity at Old Trafford.
Team beginning to embrace Amorim’s system The recruitment over the summer has been impressive, although the Red Devils would have significantly improved with a powerful midfielder added to the mix.
Yet, the team has already begun to embrace Amorim’s approach in the new season. They are already displaying many important facets of the Portuguese head coach’s tactics, including structured pressing and quick transitions.
Letting Amorim go right now would undo all the good work, and there’s no guarantee that the next manager would get it right either.
A focus on youth A key aspect of Amorim’s success at Sporting was a focus on youth, with players like Pedro Goncalves, Nuno Mendes, and Goncalo Inacio all thriving under his tutelage.
At United, too, he has a backbone of talented youngsters to work with.
Leny Yoro, Amad Diallo, Ayden Heaven, Sesko, Kobbie Mainoo, and Shea Lacey are part of United’s youthful core and the Portuguese head coach is the right man to guide them forward.
Fans, of course, will point at his treatment of Mainoo to draw a different picture, but only time will judge Amorim’s approach in the matter.
A squad builder When Amorim walked in at Sporting in March 2020, the club was going through a rough patch and hadn’t won the league in almost two decades. The environment was not conducive to football, especially after a mob of supporters had assaulted players and staff at the training ground in 2018.
Amorim’s strong personality, though, was just what the doctor ordered for the Portuguese club. A year later, he had helped them win the league.
The job at hand at Old Trafford is totally different, however.
Amorim already had in-depth knowledge of the Portuguese league, which is perhaps what aided in his fast integration at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. With United, he is in a race against time.
However, it would be unfair to rule the Portuguese out already, especially since he has already laid the groundwork for success.
Time to be patient United have invested in six managers since 2013, spending more than £1bn in new signings, but have never afforded them time to build an empire.
The fallen Premier League giants are no longer the force they once were, with years of mismanagement and poor recruitment coming back to haunt them. The days of chopping and changing may have done more harm than good.
Jurgen Klopp finished eighth in his first full season at Liverpool and required two years to break into the top four. Mikel Arteta finished eighth in his first two seasons, yet Arsenal remained patient, and are now reaping the benefits. It is time for United to be patient with Amorim too.
Shut out the noise The constant scrutiny from fans, from the media, and from former players hasn’t helped United’s cause. Amorim’s every move has been dissected and assessed, with the focus mostly on the negatives.
What the Red Devils need right now is not just a squad reset, but, perhaps, a cultural revamp as well. They need to build a team hungry to succeed, with a high degree of self-belief, who have the desire to fight even when everything is going against them.
These are qualities that United have lost since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
Slow progress is still progress and United may have to learn to walk before they can run again. They also need to shut out the outside noise, the trolls, and the constant criticism and give their head coach room to breathe.
Fans who expected United’s fortunes to dramatically change after Amorim’s arrival have been disappointed. But true change is not a drastic process, it is a calculated journey, with multiple elements having a bearing on its success.
Change can be a brutal process and United, perhaps, need the Portuguese’s steel, resilience, and stubbornness more than ever as they wade through these turbulent times. The club and the fans need to stand by Amorim instead of pushing him away.
Sporting kept their faith and reaped the rewards. United, too, can reclaim their glory days if they are willing to trust O Poeta.
Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images
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Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.
