Is Rùben Amorim right about Manchester United?

Karan Ahgun

— 4 min read
Is Rùben Amorim right about Manchester United?

After his side's 3-1 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, Rùben Amorim described his side as "maybe the worst team" in Manchester United's history. Since then, Amorim has retracted his statement, feeling that it was an emotional outburst in the moment but even still, Manchester United fans will feel that their manager has a point. So just how bad are Manchester United right now?

The loss against Brighton was United's 10th in the league this season and contributed to a run of 2 wins in 6 home games since December. In each of these defeats, United have struggled to score goals and have conceded some questionable goals from individual errors. This poor run of form has prompted the media to question Amorim's steadfast approach of sticking with his system, in favour of implementing tactics for a group of players who have failed at performing in a number of different formations. United fans are understanding of Amorim's approach but he does have to get results along the way and show elements of what he hopes to achieve in the long-term. Performances akin to those against Liverpool and Arsenal are the standard at which United should be playing at every week but there is a major mentality issue within the playing squad which prevents them from producing consistent performances.

With Amorim coming into the job mid-season, it has been difficult for him to implement his ideas straight away. On top of trying to teach his squad how to play in his system, there are a number of players who are not well-suited to Amorim's demands and are a part of the poor recruitment strategy the club employed under Erik Ten Hag. Fundamentally, this current United squad is built in the image of the Dutchman and it will take a few windows to bring in players suited to Amorim. Players like Casemiro, Antony and Marcus Rashford are on the chopping block and selling them will bring some relief to United's financial turmoil. There must be some major player overhaul in the coming seasons if Rùben Amorim is to succeed but there are some gems who the manager can work with right now.

The best performer since Amorim came in has undoubtedly been Amad. The Ivorian winger has played at wing-back and as a No.10 and has been involved in 11 goals since the change of manager, including a first ever hat-trick against Southampton. Amad has been the standard-bearer in terms of performance and has produced a consistent level in which ever position he has been asked to play in. His performances have made him one of the first names of the team sheet and has earned him a new 5 year contract at the club. Another player who has raised their performance is Manuel Ugarte. Ugarte previously played for Amorim at Sporting, so will know the system well but his performance levels have shown United fans why the club went out to buy him. The Uruguayan has a reputation of being a tough tackler, which has been evident since playing regularly. Without Ugarte, United's midfield lacks bite and energy and gets easily run through (like the Newcastle game).

Overall, fans agree with the sentiment that this could be the worst Manchester United team in history (certainly in the Premier League era), but they will be hoping that with more time on the training ground and better player profiles being brought in, the performance levels will rise and the team can gain some consistency. There are some foundations to build upon but Amorim will hope to get a few signings through the door and a full pre-season so that fans can see the full effect of his work.

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