The Red Devils are in a worse position in the Premier League than when the Portuguese took charge, and his negative comments are not helping his cause
Sunday should have been a day to savour for Manchester United fans. Old Trafford was lit up by glorious sunshine, the stadium had just enjoyed one of its best occasions in recent memory in the comeback win over Athletic Club and everyone was looking forward to the Europa League final. What's more, in front of United were a team they had not lost at home to in 18 years and who have had an even worse season than them.
But West Ham had too much for the Red Devils, and it looked as if was all too much for Ruben Amorim, who did not try to hide his contempt for United's players in a frank and damning post-match press conference. After speaking his mind to a surprising degree in his first few weeks as manager, from calling his team the worst in the club's history and making jaw-dropping remarks about Antony and Marcus Rashford, there was a sense in recent weeks that Amorim had mellowed. His conversations with the media had become normal affairs rather than box-office events. But on Sunday, he was mad as Hell and he wasn't going to take it any more.
In a breathless display, Amorim took aim at his players for not showing enough urgency to defend their box or when attacking. He declared that United had lost the sense that they were a big club as they were so ready to accept defeat. He urged the club to be "really strong, be brave in the summer", which was a thinly-veiled plea to Sir Jim Ratcliffe to let him overhaul the squad. And he warned that if things did not improve next season he might have to quit. That is, if he is not sacked first.
The tirade begged the question: Is Amorim capable of succeeding at United or will he be gone by the end of the year and become the seventh managerial casualty of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era?
Getty Images SportWorse than Ten Hag
While Amorim's predecessor Erik ten Hag often tried to insist that his side were unlucky and were the victim of too many injuries, Amorim has been happy to point out just how bad his team is. And while he could be cut some slack in the first few weeks, he has been in charge for almost six months now and has had one transfer window to try and improve matters. The team, however, are in an even worse state under his watch compared to when he found them.
Ten Hag was sacked with his side 14th in the Premier League table after taking just 11 points from nine matches. Amorim's United, meanwhile, are 16th in the table and have picked up only 24 points in his 25 games. Ten Hag left with an undoubtedly poor showing at the start of this season of eight goals scored and 11 conceded, a goal difference of minus three. But under Amorim, the goal difference now stands at minus 11, and that is after interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy had raised it back to zero.
Leaving aside United's Europa League exploits – something Amorim was keen to do on Sunday when he said "I'm not concerned by the final, it's by far the smallest problem in our club" – the team have gotten even worse. The coach has lost more than half of his league games, and more than half of those played at Old Trafford. He has only won six league games and in the last four months has failed to beat a team outside of the relegation zone.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportPut to shame by Moyes & Pereira
Amorim has had more than enough time to turn United's league form around, and the success of two other coaches who took over Premier League clubs mid-season puts his results in Manchester to shame.
David Moyes has earned 25 points in 17 matches with Everton, taking them from 16th place and one point above the relegation zone on the day he was hired to 13th, 20 clear of the drop-zone. Vitor Pereira, meanwhile, has also had a big impact at Wolves, earning 32 points from 20 matches while winning a club-record six consecutive Premier League games, steering the team from the thick of the relegation battle to mid-table security.
Wolves and Everton were below United when Amorim became boss, but they are both now ahead of the Red Devils and look set to finish the season above them.
AFPMore training time won't help
Amorim warned in his first press conference that he needed plenty of training sessions to implement his ideas whilst admitting that was limited due to the team being involved in European competition. And while United did get good results against Liverpool and Arsenal in January after an increased number of days between matches, more time on the training ground has not always led to positive outcomes.
When the coach had a nine-day gap between the FA Cup tie with Leicester City and the league game at Tottenham in February, it led to Kobbie Mainoo and Amad Diallo suffering long-term injuries, while Toby Collyer and Manuel Ugarte also picked up minor knocks and Leny Yoro and Christian Eriksen fell ill and missed the trip to north London, where Amorim filled the bench with youngsters who at the time had no senior experience.
United fans will not be fooled by the idea that having a full pre-season will change everything. Indeed, Amorim's decision to send Antony and Rashford on loan in January seemed to indicate that he did not back himself to turn the pair's fortunes around with more time. Rather than extra training sessions, it seems that the only fix for United's malaise is to significantly re-shape the squad before next season. Or in Amorim's words, to be strong and brave in the summer.
AFP'Constant negativity' not helping
United are expected to sign Wolves forward Matheus Cunha in the summer, and their budget will be further boosted if they beat Tottenham in the Europa League final and secure Champions League football, which in turn will raise the calibre of players they can attract. But a few new faces will still struggle to drag this team in the right direction. As Amorim was at pains to point out on Sunday, United need a brand new culture, one that does not accept losing at home to Wolves, Brighton, West Ham or Crystal Palace (and many more) lightly.
"For me, the biggest concern is that feeling that it's OK," he said after the West Ham defeat. "We cannot change our position so much so it's OK. That is the biggest problem in our club in this moment because we are losing the feeling of we are a massive club and it's the end of the world to lose a game at home. I think that is the biggest concern in our club. I'm talking about the culture in the club and the culture in the team. We will not have a next season like this if we start like this. If the feeling is still here we should give space to different persons."
Amorim's attempts to change the culture are not getting through, however. He smashed a television in the dressing room after the defeat to Brighton in January, the same day that he called his side the worst in Manchester United's history. The tough love has not had an impact and his angry outburst on Sunday was questioned by former Liverpool and England midfielder Danny Murphy.
"I am not a big fan of a manager continuously and consistently talking negatively about how bad things are," Murphy said on . "I'd like to hear a bit more solution-based answers, a bit more positivity, and thinking forward. I always felt that if the leader of a club is putting on a nice positive front and trying to be forthright and look forward, then it helped the players, rather than constant negativity."
