It’s a testament to Ruben Amorim’s oratory talents that he’s enjoying all the benefits of a honeymoon period without actually getting one from the players.
Amorim’s gravitas and eloquence have commanded early respect from fans and the media, and to a large extent rightly so.
Not since Jose Mourinho two decades ago has a manager made such an impression on swooning journalists, while no Manchester United coach since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement has so excited supporters or so clearly looked and sounded like he belongs.
But there will come a point when the infatuation wanes, when the spell wears off. Eventually “a storm will come,” as Amorim so ominously – and elegantly – predicted after United’s 4-0 victory over Everton at the beginning of the month.
🗣️ "It's hard to push for two or three wins. We're trying. But this game was hard on us"
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 22, 2024
Ruben Amorim reflects on Man Utd's 3-0 loss to Bournemouth 🔴 pic.twitter.com/ytBCa38Y7l
That moment is fast approaching.
Man Utd were dreadful in a 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth, as passive and formless as the final days under Erik ten Hag, while seven points from six league games is, if we put Amorim’s personality and our collective sympathy to one side for a moment, an abysmal return.
For now he gets a free pass, predominantly because playing games twice a week means there’s no time to learn new ideas in training but also because it’s more logical to blame the culture in the dressing room.
The players are the common denominator between the end of the old era and the beginning of the new one.
That is the correct analysis...up to a point.
But it cannot last much longer because no matter how difficult the circumstances Amorim’s record is well below average, his four defeats from six in all competitions United’s worst run of the season.
They aren’t treading water since Ten Hag’s dismissal, they’re getting worse, and a remarkable final five minutes at the Etihad ought not to distract from that, nor should Amorim saying all the right things.
There are questions emerging.
Sure, United can’t train hard and he can’t build up their fitness, but could he not be teaching them more in the classroom? Maybe not. Maybe PowerPoint seminars don’t mean anything without time to forge relationships and to commit new patterns of play to muscle memory.
But if that’s the case, another question arises: why is Amorim making so many changes from game to game? If the team is forced to learn his methods in competition, rather than on the training ground, then surely he needs to help replicate lab conditions by picking a consistent team?
Amorim has made 20 changes for Premier League matches so far, an average of four per game. It’s no wonder United look like a disordered rabble.
But it isn’t just about rotating personnel. It’s their positions on the field, too. Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo, and Noussair Mazraoui in particular are shunted around the pitch, leading to confusingly inconsistent team selections that must be getting in the way of building cohesion.
The inside forward pairing, the wing-back pairing, the central midfield pairings, and the centre-back trio have changed every single Premier League game, for a grand total (in six league matches) of three wing-back pairs, four central midfield partnerships, five inside forward duos, and – get this - six centre-back partnerships, or in other words an entirely new one each game.
There are further changes for the Europa League and Carabao Cup of course, but squad rotation is to be expected in midweek so we have left them out of our analysis.
Nevertheless it means more chopping and changing, more new team-mates and new ways of thinking, than even listed above.
Amorim would probably argue that he wants to give everyone a chance, show he has no favourites, and use a trial-and-error approach to find the most effective combinations.
But there comes a point when this strategy is more of a hindrance than a help.
This season is far from a write-off. Even now Man Utd are only six points off fifth, which could be a Champions League spot this year, suggesting a bit more pragmatism - a more results-first mentality while the games come thick and fast - could have taken United closer to their target of a top-four finish.
It still can.
United supporters look forward to January as the first window for Amorim to clear dead wood and begin refashioning the squad in his image.
But it’s just as important that Amorim gets a couple of free midweeks at the start of the month to take a breath, take stock, and decide on his best 11.
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
