Alan Shearer wants Ruben Amorim to take responsibility at Manchester United to make a difference
Manchester United’s situation have been deteriorating steadily over the past few months. Ruben Amorim took charge midway through last season, but the team finished 15th in the league and lost the Europa League final to Spurs. This time, the start has been even worse as the first two games in the Premier League did not result in a win, and the defeat against League Two’s Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup has worsened the situation further.
Grimsby took the lead in the first half with goals from Charles Vernam and Tyrell Warren, then United equalised through Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire, but eventually Christy Pym’s brilliant save in the penalty shootout knocked United out. This defeat raises further questions about Amorim’s management.
Shearer’s strong opinion and increasing pressure
Former English centre-forward and current pundit, Alan Shearer, clearly said that United are far from their real destination. He believes that the club brought Amorim in too early last season, and now they will have to back him at all costs. He also said that now it is the responsibility of Amorim to take the team to a respectable position.
Alan Shearer wants Ruben Amorim to take responsibility at Manchester United to make a difference.
Alan Shearer on Ruben Amorim’s Man United: ‘A million miles away from where they want to be’ after shock Carabao Cup exit.
Shearer indicated that United has spent a lot in the summer, yet they need more players, but it is not clear whether the club will be able to do this in this transfer window. The 55-year-old said that the top five teams of the Premier League have already become very strong, and it will not be easy for United to catch up to them.
In his opinion, from the level at which United are right now, it looks very difficult to reach the top five. This is a very challenging time for Amorim because now every defeat is making his future more unstable. There is already a discussion in the media and among fans whether the club should change the manager, and if the performance does not improve, then the pressure on the board will increase. Meanwhile, Turkish champions Galatasaray have explored the potential availability of Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana.
“As soon as they went all in for Amorim and they got him straight away, rather than waiting until the end of the season, they were always going to have to back him. They have backed him, and it’s now up to him to get them back into some sort of respectable position.
“They have spent an absolute fortune already this summer, but they still need to spend. Whether they can get in what they want in this window or whether they’re going to have to wait, we’ll have to wait and see, but I think it’s going to be really tough. You look at what the top four or five have spent, and then there’s the chasing pack. Maybe Man United might, and I say might, be one of them, but even still, they will find it tough to get anywhere near the top five this season. They’re a million miles away from where they were or where they want to be.”
Quote via: Manchester Evening News
The way forward
The big question is whether the club are on the right path with Amorim. Defeat to a team like Grimsby and continuous poor results make one think that change is needed, but the truth is that changing managers regularly has never brought stability. Perhaps the board has decided to back Amorim with this in mind. If the team have to be taken in the right direction, then Amorim will have to get better performance out of his players.
There is truth in what Shearer said that United are far away from the top five. To reduce the gap, the club will have to bring strength in defence, creativity in midfield and consistency in scoring goals. This time, the huge expenditure will only matter if we see improvement on the field. United will struggle to get into the top five this season, but as supporters, we have to be optimistic.
It won’t be easy to sack Amorim right now, given that we have just three days left till the end of the summer transfer window, and the signings have been made as the Portuguese manager demanded. So, the club might have to take the risk by continuing with Amorim. The manager now has to make changes to his 3-4-2-1 formation and tactics. Maybe the possible addition of Senne Lammens might strengthen the team a little more and provide the security at the back.