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Man United are still eager to sign Viktor Gyokeres this summer | Getty Images
Ruben Amorim will have to do it the hard way if he is to get Man Utd off to a flyer according to Opta.
Ruben Amorim has been up against it since leaving the relative serenity of Sporting Lisbon to join Manchester United.
The Red Devil’s boss didn’t just get off to a slow start last season, he barely got going at all with doubts about his future raised on several occasions as his team slumped to its lowest ever Premier League finish and points tally.
Man Utd officially have toughest opening task in Premier League fixture list
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According to Opta, Amorim and his United squad couldn’t have had things much tougher as their opening five games prove.
The statistics company have a ranking for each team in the league and, according to their model, United’s opponents have an average score of 94.6.
Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea are the headline fixtures with Fulham away and Burnley at home following the opening Old Trafford game against Mikel Arteta’s side. Craven Cottage isn’t exactly a guaranteed three points either and the pressure could be on Amorim before the clocks go back.
In the table, Arsenal are second on the with Liverpool fifth so, at least the teams who United are trying to catch don’t have it easy either. Of the serious title contenders, Man City are in 10th and Chelsea are in 15th with Aston Villa, statistically, having the easiest start of all 20 teams.
They have Newcastle United on matchday one followed by Brentford, Crystal Palace, Everton and Sunderland and have a great chance to make a fast start at the top of the table.
Why fixture list might actually be a blessing for Man Utd
The reality is for United, there are no excuses. Yes, they would prefer to be broken into gently with what could be a very different looking starting XI, however, it is the same fixture list for every team when it comes down to it.
United also have the benefit of having their mid-weeks free almost every week with no European fixtures so whilst the teams mentioned above are playing and recovering for most of the season, United can spend more time on the training pitch and are less likely to show signs of fatigue towards the end of the season.
Additionally, City and Chelsea have both been playing at the Club World Cup and will have a very different pre-season despite the size of their squads. There is every chance that they won’t be anywhere near to being at their best early in the season and it could be a good time to play them and Arsenal.
There were a lot of excuses last season, not that Amorim made them, but a repeat of last season’s form won’t be tolerated, regardless of how tough the fixture list might be.
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