According to reports, Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim is only ‘close’ to two of his players as the squad has ‘noticed’ his approach.
Amorim left Sporting Lisbon to replace Erik ten Hag atMan Utd towards the end of 2024 after he was previously linked with Manchester City, Liverpool and West Ham United.
Last season’s FA Cup win saved Ten Hag from the sack, but Man Utd’s struggles under the Dutchman continued into this season before he was dismissed with the Premier League giants in the bottom half.
However, United have perhaps been worse under Amorim than they were during Ten Hag’s reign as the 39-year-old has attempted to implement his preferred 3-5-2 formation.
The Red Devils are 13th in the Premier League form table as they have struggled to adapt to life under Amorim with the squad not currently suited to his preferred style.
READ: You will not believe Van Nistelrooy’s one-word message to Keown and Arsenal over Man Utd ‘hostilities’
Man Utd need to make wholesale changes to their squad and their overhaul started in January as Marcus Rashford and Antony were sent on loan to Aston Villa and Real Betis respectively while Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven have been signed.
United need to offload unwanted talents to raise funds for transfers and their dire season leaves most of their squad at risk of being sold in the summer.
A report from Manchester Evening News claims Amorim has this in mind as he’s ‘not getting attached to the majority of squad members’.
This approach has been compared to how Ten Hag dealt with the dressing room, while the two players Amorim is ‘close’ to have been ‘noticed’.
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The report explains.
‘Ruben Amorim is maintaining a professional distance from the Manchester United players three months into the role as head coach.
‘Dressing room sources say Amorim is not as close with most of the players as predecessor Erik ten Hag was, while United players also appreciated the man-management of Ruud van Nistelrooy during his two-week caretaker stint in November.
‘Players have noticed that Amorim is naturally closest with compatriots Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot but, with another squad upheaval planned for the summer, the Portuguese is not getting attached to the majority of squad members.
‘Despite Ten Hag’s gruff nature and public fallouts with star players, he had loyal bonds with a number of players he bought having worked with them at Ajax. He was also popular with academy graduates Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, who came to prominence under Ten Hag and scored in last season’s FA Cup final triumph against Manchester City.
‘A senior United player described Van Nistelrooy’s squad management as “excellent” when he took charge for four matches before Amorim arrived on November 11. Casemiro particularly appreciated Van Nistelrooy as they conversed in fluent Spanish.’