Ruben Amorim at a Manchester United press conference
Ruben Amorim has endured a tough start to life at Manchester United
Former England star Paul Merson believes Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is suffering from several years of poor recruitment from the Premier League club.
United sit 14th in the Premier League after picking up just 33 points from their first 27 matches. They are 14 points adrift of fourth-place Manchester City, and maximum points from their final 11 games would see them fall short of the tally needed to finish in the top four last term.
Amorim thrived with a 3-4-3 system at previous club Sporting CP, who were unbeaten in the Primeira Liga and Champions League when he moved to Old Trafford in November. It hs been harder for him to put his preferred set-up in place at Old Trafford, though, with limited backing arriving in the winter transfer window.
Merson has some sympathy with Amorim for the mistakes made during his predecessors' time in charge. However, he also believes the Portuguese should take some responsibility for his inflexibility.
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"I'm worried for Man Utd. I really, really, really worry for them," Merson wrote for Sky Sports. "They're a million miles off it and I don't see when that's going to change. It is a payback for the terrible signings they have made over the last four or five years.
"I don't mind [Bruno] Fernandes, he will always try to get on the ball. His goal was very good but he's not a centre-midfield player in a two. I don't get that. You have to play to the strength of the players and not the strength of yourself. At the moment, this isn't working. It's a fact.
"Ruben Amorim is only young but top managers are adaptable and work out what they need to do. I've seen Jose Mourinho make a substitution after 20 minutes. He is playing to the strength of himself and not the players he has. It's a big mess and I don't know where it is going to change."
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Amorim still has a chance to secure Champions League qualification by another method. United are still alive in the Europa League, where they face Real Sociedad in the round of 16, with the competition's winner making it to Europe's top table next term.
United will travel with a squad of just 18 players, leaving five available substitute spots unclaimed, due to a growing injury list. Mid-season signings Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven have been added to the squad, but Chido Obi - who impressed in the FA Cup exit against Fulham - is ineligible for the game.
Real Sociedad had to come through a knockout play-off after only picking up 13 points in the league phase of the Europa League, but beat FC Midtjylland home and away to set up their United meeting. Imanol Alguacil's team go into the game off the back of a 4-0 La Liga defeat to Barcelona which left them ninths in the table, a few points off the European spots.
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