Ruben Amorim is under huge pressure after the defeat to Grimsby Townplaceholder image
Ruben Amorim is under huge pressure after the defeat to Grimsby Town | CBS Sports
The Man Utd head coach is under huge pressure after defeat to Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup.
Ruben Amorim is a record-breaker. Under him Manchester United recorded their lowest ever Premier League finish and now they have been dumped out of a cup competition by a fourth-tier side for the first time in their history.
Whether you agree or not, there was at least some mitigation to their struggles last season. Amorim didn't want to take the job mid-season but was given an ultimatum to join them in November 2024 or possibly never get the chance. We were also told that the squad didn't suit his precise tactical set-up and that United didn't have enough time on the training ground to implement it either.
So here we are, just three matches into the new season and we are back where we were to begin with, only this time, it is hard to find any valid excuses. Amorim has been backed with over £200 million in the summer transfer window and had a full summer with his first-team squad to work on their system.
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He has also been able to get rid of those he doesn't want. Few United fans would protest the exit of Marcus Rashford, or the proposed sale of Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea. But at a time when Kobbie Mainoo is considering his future, you must ask whether it is he or Amorim who has the longer shelf life at Old Trafford.
Another unfortunate record is that United lost four times to Tottenham Hotspur last season. After victory in the Europa League final, they sacked Ange Postecoglou and look rejuvenated under his replacement Thomas Frank. After defeat in the Europa League final, United stuck with Amorim and gave him the freedom to overhaul his playing squad in the summer window.
There is even greater irony that Frank was one of those suggested to United by Dan Ashworth when they looked to replace Erik ten Hag less than a year ago. He was also backed with a £200m squad rebuild before he was sacked just three months into the season. In both instances, United might have been wise to do what Tottenham did and make a change. Instead, it was Ashworth who also paid the price.
The Europa League provided a welcome distraction last season as United were able to redeem their atrocious domestic form with improved performances in Europe. Yet as soon as they met English opposition in the final, they fell short. Under Amorim, United have won just eight of their 35 matches against domestic opponents across all competitions. That is an even bigger issue in a season without any European nights.
United are clearly not catered for the Premier League under Amorim and the system that worked in Portugal has been found out in England. While there is an element of admiration for the belief he has in his tactical approach, that stubbornness can also come across as madness when it keeps exploiting the same mistakes.
To be overran in midfield by Fulham was one thing, to be overran by Grimsby Town was simply unacceptable. Ten Hag was sacked after a £200m transfer spree, Amorim will face the same fate if he can't find a solution to the same problems that have plagued his tenure in Manchester.
There will be some who point towards the early years of Ferguson and use it as evidence for Amorim to be given more time, but football has changed a lot since then, and United are a completely different beast. Indeed, United can't just keep changing managers and throwing more money to frantically find a solution, but it is also true that Amorim can't be excused from the obvious issues he has yet to solve.
Yet, no matter how poor Amorim was in midweek, it was still the players who failed to deliver on the pitch, many of whom also let Ten Hag down. The standards have slipped, the mentality is weak, and they can’t keep sacrificing the head coach as the fall guy for their own shortcomings.
Speaking after the Grimsby defeat, Amorim admitted, ‘something has to change.’ United will either have to change managers, or the manager will have to change his ideas.
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