A number of Manchester United players have failed to earn more than one appearance under Amorim so far
A number of Manchester United players have failed to earn more than one appearance under Amorim so far
Ruben Amorim has marked the first month of his Manchester United tenure by using a total of 22 players in his opening five matches.
The new head coach has used the maximum number of substitutions available during that time too, making five in each fixture so far. He has recorded only two wins so far and is reeling from a 3-2 home defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The headlines have focused on the boardroom since then given the shock departure of sporting director Dan Ashworth. But Amorim has also been critiqued for his constant change-ups, something Gary Neville says shows the coach's lack of contentment with what he's seeing.
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“When you keep changing players and taking five players off, you’re basically [sending a message] to all of them effectively, because they've been left out at the start of the game because you don’t trust them," Neville said.
Amorim will look to add more stability with Thursday’s trip to Czechia when United take on Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League. A number of players may expect to be handed more minutes with nine of them featuring in each of his matches so far.
While this would have been anticipated for Andre Onana and Bruno Fernandes, it has perhaps given a boost to the likes of Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Ugarte.
But there are four other players who have either yet to play or been fielded just once under Amorim so far. Nearly all of them have a common theme in age.
Christian Eriksen
Eriksen, 33 in February, has only been used once so far by Amorim. He has failed to get onto the field since his 68-minute stint on the coach’s debut against Ipswich Town, and was left out completely for the 4-0 win over Everton.
The Dane sees his contract expire next summer and there has been little to suggest that he will be offered a renewal. January, then, may be the last window in which United can reap a fee for the midfielder.
Jonny Evans
Evans was the surprise package of the Erik ten Hag era, having earned a renewal over the summer following a solid season upon a shock return in 2023. He was arguably United’s most in-form defender before the change in manager.
The 36-year-old has only played once - against Ipswich - under Amorim due to injury but there are questions hanging over his future in the playing squad given the coach’s preference for younger talent. His deal also expires in June.
Altay Bayindir
The exception to the age theme, Bayindir has still yet to make his Premier League debut 18 months after signing as back-up to Onana. He has been used twice this season in the League Cup but has yet to make his bow under the new boss, even in the Europa League.
There have been reports that the 26-year-old could look for a mid-season exit given his starvation of game time. The Türkiye international has a contract that lasts until 2027 so holds value, although a sale seems unlikely given the current lack of goalkeeping options.
Tom Heaton
Of course, Heaton - only a year younger than Amorim - is the other senior shot-stopper available. The 38-year-old is well-liked within the squad and helps to fill the club’s homegrown quota, albeit has not played since February 2023.
It could well be that he passes two years without making a competitive appearance. If not required for the homegrown quota, it seems likely that Heaton is taken off the wage bill when his contract ends next summer.