Jamie Carragher claims Ruben Amorim has failed to complete the ‘bare minimum’ requirement since taking charge at Manchester United, and named six current Premier League managers – one of which uses the exact same formation as Amorim – who are exposing the Portuguese.
It’s been anything but smooth sailing for Amorim so far, with the Man Utd manager producing a measly winning percentage of 40 since succeeding Erik ten Hag. United bowed out of the League Cup and FA Cup on Amorim’s watch this season, though they do remain in contention to lift the Europa League.
The green shoots of recovery at Old Trafford are few and far between at present. And according to pundit Jamie Carragher, Man Utd’s hierarchy must be wondering whether they’ve chosen the right man.
Writing in his column for the Telegraph, Carragher stressed sacking former boss Ten Hag was the right decision to make.
However, Carragher claimed Amorim’s failure to do the bare minimum expected at Old Trafford – ensuring the squad are better coached than during Ten Hag’s reign – has left the Portuguese ‘drowning.’
‘No players have improved under Portuguese coach and it is difficult to even say that team are better prepared now than under Erik ten Hag,’ wrote Carragher.
He added: ‘It is always going to take some time for new ideas to be implemented and work, especially when a coach is working with someone else’s players.
‘No one expected it would get even worse. When watching United now, the question I cannot shake off is: “How bad is this going to get?”
‘This is the worst United team of my lifetime and the bare minimum that could have been expected after Amorim took charge, that the team would look like they are being coached better than they were under Ten Hag, has not materialised.’
Six Prem bosses putting Amorim to shame
The fabled ‘new manager bounce’ has been evident at Goodison Park this season, with David Moyes making an instant impact in his second spell with Everton.
There’s been no immediate uplift at Man Utd, however, and Carragher claimed Amorim should be judged on how he’s performing against other managers who took charge at clubs enduring difficult moments.
‘The fairest measure of any coach taking over mid-season is not to compare directly with the most successful teams,’ continued Carragher,
‘It is not right to look at Amorim at United and to judge him against the more stable clubs where coaches are building on good foundations, ready to compete for honours.
‘What is more valid is to analyse the impact several coaches have had taking over underperforming, struggling squads, many of them leading an immediate upturn. Look at David Moyes at Everton. He has made more improvements during a short period at Everton than Amorim has at United.
‘Moyes has won 15 points from a possible 24 since taking over, with only one win fewer than Amorim. United have collected just 18 points from 48 under new management. That must be a concern.
‘There are other examples of this. Oliver Glasner recently celebrated a year in charge at Crystal Palace having taken plenty of big scalps playing the same 3-4-3 formation as Amorim. It took no time for his players to adjust to a new philosophy. Good coaches unlock the full potential of players, whatever their preferred system.
‘Nuno Espirito Santo led instant improvement at Nottingham Forest to keep the club in the Premier League last season, an upward trajectory which has continued to make Champions League qualification a possibility.
‘Unai Emery has been similarly transformative at Aston Villa, and from the moment Eddie Howe took over at Newcastle United it felt as if the club’s annual relegation battles were over.
‘Within the space of a few months you could look at each of these teams and identify how and where the coach’s influence has been extremely positive. Perhaps the most relevant point of comparison for Amorim is Mikel Arteta’s early work at Arsenal, United’s opponents on Sunday.
‘My expectation when Amorim joined United was that there would be echoes of Arteta’s initial impact. There are many obvious similarities, from the lowly league position to a squad which needs rejuvenating as it has too many high-earning under-performers.
‘Arsenal were 10th in the Premier League on the day Arteta was appointed in December 2019. They would finish eighth that season but won the FA Cup, beating Manchester City and Chelsea.
‘There were setbacks during the rebuilding process and tough battles to be won regarding recruitment, but from day one you felt Arteta was moving Arsenal in the right direction.’
Latest Man Utd news – Mateta, Kerkez
In other news, the Sun report Man Utd are considering a move for Crystal Palace striker, Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The 27-year-old is viewed by United chiefs as a more cost-effective alternative to Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres.
United scouts have watched Mateta in action in each of Palace’s last three Premier League matches. The idea of joining Man Utd ‘would appeal’ to the Frenchman, per the report.
Elsewhere, TEAMtalk understands Man Utd have cooled their interest in Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez.
United looked into signing the Hungary international in January, though the cost of doing business prompted the Red Devils to land Patrick Dorgu for £25m instead.
United do remain on the hunt for a second wing-back, though it’s our understanding they’re far likelier to sign Geovany Quenda (SportingCP) than Kerkez.
That will be music to the ears of Liverpool who have installed the Bournemouth man as their top target to succeed Andy Robertson at left-back.
Robertson has endured a difficult campaign at Anfield and now the wrong side of 30, will need to be replaced sooner rather than later.
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