Man United face a challenging summer after missing out on Champions League qualification for the 2025/26 campaign.
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Jamie Carragher on punditry duty for Sky Sports.
Jamie Carragher has expressed fears about Manchester United ahead of the summer.
(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images.)
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has suggested that it may be in everyone's best interests if Manchester United and Ruben Amorim were to go their separate ways this summer.
After being appointed as Erik ten Hag's successor last November, United have continued to slide down the Premier League ladder under Amorim, so much so failure to beat Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon could see them finish just one place above the relegation zone.
The mood at United is, of course, already at rock-bottom following Wednesday night's 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, meaning the club will go without European football for the first time since the 2014/15 season next term.
United need to make much-needed changes to their squad in this summer's transfer window, but their failure to qualify for the Champions League has impacted their budget.
Amorim's obsession with his 3-4-2-1 formation mean that his recruitment needs will be specific, meaning there is no room for error. And having failed to cover himself in glory over the last few months, Carragher is fearful that United will have to spend big to recruit to his needs.
He has also addressed the danger of United recruiting to Amorim's needs this summer, the club making a slow start to next season, resulting in the Portuguese chief being sacked, and his replacement reverting back to a four-man defence.
"With Amorim, you are not just committing to an individual coach," said Carragher, penning his column for The Telegraph. "Backing him means getting behind a big idea; a system of play that is uncommon among the elite of Europe, requiring specialist footballers and a squad of back-up wing-backs and centre-halves so he can play three at the back.
"It means spending big on redesigning the squad to meet Amorim's specific needs in the knowledge that, if he underperforms again next season, his successor will most likely revert to a flat back-four. The blueprint is then ripped up and the club are back to square one.
"A fortune would have been wasted again and another one would be required for the next manager. Given the precariousness of United's finances, which Ratcliffe acknowledged earlier this season, can the club really afford any more expensive mistakes?
Ruben Amorim embraces Sir Jim Ratcliffe after the Europa League final defeat.
A big summer lies ahead for Manchester United.
"After losing a potential £100million windfall by missing out on the Champions League, United will be gambling the short-term and long-term health of the club on Amorim leading an extraordinary revival. No wonder Ratcliffe looked haunted at the trophy presentation in Bilbao.
"This is the path United embarked upon when they headhunted Amorim. Now that his six months in charge have gone so badly, Ratcliffe and his Ineos colleagues will need a decisive plan for how he will navigate the club through the most challenging period in United's modern history.
"Their grave concern must be that they have seen absolutely no evidence so far to suggest he is up to it. On that basis, backing Amorim this summer may be the honourable option, but it is not necessarily the bravest.
"Would it suit all parties if he shook hands and walked away from Old Trafford? Many people in football would probably consider that a mutually beneficial outcome.
"To his credit, Amorim seems to empathise with his board. He understands what they must commit to if they retain his services; namely, the right personnel to execute his vision."