Manchester United fans can point out many reasons why the team dropped more points at home, and Bryan Mbeumo won’t be at the top of the list, but Ruben Amorim might be after his comments.
Bryan Mbeumo’s form at Man Utd has mirrored the team’s, as his hot start to the season has given way to a lacklustre last few games.
Without his brilliance, United have fallen into the old trap of looking toothless against defensive sides, something which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recently said would happen to Ruben Amorim.
What is your MESSAGE to Ruben Amorim after the 1-1 draw vs West Ham?
“We had good moments and we lost a little bit of control after the goal. We should have closed the game when we scored the first one.”
Ruben Amorim
Manchester United v West Ham United - Premier League
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However, Mbeumo’s performances will be the least of the worries for Man Utd fans, because his reasoning for not taking him off was even more remarkable.
Ruben Amorim, Manager of Manchester United applauds fans following the Premier League match between Manchester United and West Ham United at Old Trafford on December 04, 2025
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Why Ruben Amorim didn’t take Bryan Mbeumo off
Before going into details, it’s worth mentioning that taking Mbeumo off makes this United side certifiably worse, so it’s not a judgment on the Cameroonian’s quality.
His ability to run with the ball and do the unexpected, brilliant piece of play is crucial in a team that has no coherent attacking pattern, so he is needed.
Having said that, had Amorim simply said the above to rationalise his decision to keep Mbeumo on, fans would have been forgiving.
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However, Amorim’s reasoning was remarkable.
He said, “Who would be more offensive? Bryan has a lot of pace to win the ball in transition, that was my idea.”
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Manchester United attack a corner against West Ham
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There you have it. The Man Utd manager was keeping Mbeumo on the pitch because he was hoping to catch relegation candidates on the counter-attack while playing at Old Trafford.
“Stubbornness” has become an easy stick to beat Amorim with, but his remarks above, combined with his repeated stressing on set-pieces, transitions, second balls, and intensity, prove he has actually changed a lot.
The problem is that this change has been for the worse, because this is not the way he succeeded at Sporting, which prompted United to sign him in the first place.
He has effectively kept his system, but changed his entire philosophy after getting burned in the Premier League.
In the process, he has lost his footballing identity and is simply a shell of the manager who thrilled Europe with a youthful Sporting side.
In that respect, he has changed and adapted immensely. It has just happened too extremely in a negative direction.
It’s impossible to shake off the feeling that he needs to leave to rediscover himself because, at the moment, he is simply a poor imitation of what fans call “dinosaurs” in football, but with a hipster back-three system.
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