Although Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim’s job security is currently safe, the club’s decision-makers may not feel that way for long if the negative results keep raining on Old Trafford.
The latest blow to the Red Devils came at the hands of bitter crosstown rivals Manchester City, as Manchester United got owned 3-0 in the derby. It wasn’t quite as humiliating as losing to Grimsby Town in the League Cup, but it was another unacceptable result and listless performance from the former Premier League giants.
Most people have been slamming Amorim with criticism for his rigid belief in his system that clearly isn’t working, or his seemingly personal vendetta against young star midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who was maybe the only semblance of a bright spot in his substitute appearance against Manchester City.
But not everyone is having a go at Amorim. Manchester United legend Paul Scholes, one of the best midfielders of all time, spent most of his focus criticizing the players and midfielders on the “The Good, The Bad, and The Football” podcast:
“Forget the system. The players are just not at the level that Manchester United need. They’re not aggressive enough, they’re not quick enough, they’ve not got the legs in midfield. They’re playing two in midfield, Bruno [Fernandes] in there, and he hasn’t got the legs to do it in a three let alone a two.”
Scholes makes some fair points here. After all, pretty much none of the players are impressing, and Mainoo stood out so much in juxtaposition to how awful the others were.
Furthermore, nobody in their senses could ever blame Amorim for the club losing to Grimsby Town. No matter who is managing a Premier League side, especially one with United’s level of investment, the players have to beat Grimsby. Not doing so shows how little the players care.
At the same time, you can also poke holes at some of what Scholes is saying. The midfield could have looked better if Amorim played Mainoo, for example, and part of being a good manager is recognizing, for example, that Bruno Fernandes is an attacking midfielder at heart and clearly doesn’t have the legs to hold up a midfield duo.
Manchester United’s players aren’t playing well; there’s no doubt about it. But clearly, Amorim isn’t setting them up for success either. Scholes is right to highlight the players, who should be doing better regardless of the system, but that also doesn’t absolve Amorim’s role nor his system’s failings either.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2011. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has contributed to sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. Joe’s work has appeared in ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling, respectively.