Ruben Amorim’s time at Manchester United has been far from smooth, with the team continuing to struggle under his leadership.
The Portuguese manager, who replaced Erik ten Hag in November, has faced heavy criticism from former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, who believes Amorim is “drowning” at Old Trafford.
Carragher, writing for The Telegraph, claims that Amorim’s impact has been disappointing, and he’s worried that the manager may already be losing the faith of the players.
Despite arriving with a strong reputation after winning two league titles with Sporting Lisbon, Amorim has failed to turn United’s fortunes around, winning just five of his first 16 league games.
Ruben Amorim’s Stubbornness and Struggles at Manchester United
Since taking charge, Amorim has remained committed to his preferred 3-4-3 formation, but this approach hasn’t yielded the results many expected.
Despite being brought in to improve the team, the players have yet to respond positively to his tactics, and United’s performances have continued to disappoint.
Carragher noted that, under Amorim’s reign, United have looked even worse than they did under Ten Hag, with no players seeming to show any improvement.
“This is the worst United team of my lifetime,” Carragher said, stressing that Amorim hasn’t managed to improve the team in any significant way.
The Pressure on Amorim Continues to Grow
With only five wins from 16 league matches and a shock FA Cup exit to Fulham, the pressure on Amorim is mounting.
Carragher suggested that Amorim might already be running out of time, only four months into his tenure at Old Trafford.
He compared Amorim’s struggles to the success of other managers in difficult situations, pointing out that several top-flight managers, including David Moyes, Unai Emery, and Mikel Arteta, have been able to turn things around at their respective clubs.
Carragher had high hopes for Amorim when he took charge, expecting him to have a similar impact to Arteta at Arsenal.
However, as the season progresses, those expectations have largely gone unmet.
Carragher Warns That United’s Faith in Amorim Could Run Out Soon
While Amorim still has the support of United’s fans and board for the time being, Carragher warns that this could change quickly if the team’s performances don’t improve.
“At the moment, United fans must feel like they are pinning their hopes on blind faith,” Carragher wrote, suggesting that the faith in Amorim’s previous successes at Sporting Lisbon is the only thing keeping him in charge.
Carragher went on to emphasize that it’s not just the fans’ patience that Amorim needs to worry about, but also the executives at the club.
The United hierarchy likely had a vision for their recovery, but if the team continues to underperform, they may have to rethink their long-term strategy.
Carragher even hinted that United fans might have expected a step back in order to move forward, but they certainly didn’t anticipate such a prolonged period of underachievement.
United Fans and Executives Need More From Amorim
Although Carragher doesn’t advocate for Amorim to be dismissed immediately, he does believe that both the club’s supporters and executives are entitled to expect more.
“Ratcliffe and United’s fans are entitled to have expected so much more,” he concluded, highlighting the growing frustration surrounding Amorim’s tenure at Old Trafford.
As United prepares to face Arsenal this Sunday, time is running out for Amorim to start showing tangible improvements.
The pressure is on, and it remains to be seen whether the manager can turn things around before it’s too late.