Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim must have heaved a sigh of relief following the 2-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday in the Premier League.
The Portuguese coach has been under tremendous pressure following an underwhelming time at the Theatre of Dreams so far.
Amorim took charge of the Premier League giants in November last year as Erik ten Hag’s replacement, but has struggled to convince.
Last season, the Red Devils finished 15th in the Premier League, 42 points behind champions Liverpool, and 27 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. They also lost the Europa League final 0-1 to Tottenham Hotspur.
Summer spending yet to bear fruit
Despite the shaky start to Amorim’s reign, INEOS decided to stick with the former Sporting CP manager, and backed him extensively in the market this summer.
Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko were signed to upgrade the attack, while Senne Lammens joined to add another option between the sticks.
The results, however, have not improved. United have lost four of their eight games in all competitions, winning only three. They have already been knocked out of the EFL Cup in the second round by minnows Grimsby Town.
Amorim’s team are 10th in the league table after seven games this season, six points behind leaders Arsenal. It now appears that INEOS haven’t closed the door on a possible managerial change.
United like Unai Emery
According to Fichajes, United have identified Aston Villa manager Unai Emery as a possible option to replace Amorim if the results fail to improve.
The Spanish manager has registered 80 wins from 150 games with the Birmingham-based club so far, registering a 53.33% win ratio.
He helped them finish sixth in the league table last season and has extensive experience in managing top clubs in Europe.
Emery won the Europa League thrice with Sevilla, and once with Villarreal, while also lifting the Ligue 1 title, among other trophies, during his time at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
While his stint with Arsenal didn’t go according to plan, the Spaniard still managed a respectable 55.13% win ratio with the Gunners, much higher than Amorim’s 38% at Old Trafford so far.
The Red Devils like Emery’s tactical approach and are impressed at how well he has done at Villa Park on limited resources. United also believe his experience of dealing with media pressure and club expectations will bode well with their requirements.
Villa would prefer to hold on to their manager, given that he is under contract until 2029, but the lure of managing at the Theatre of Dreams could be too much for the Spaniard to resist.
If United finally lose their patience with Amorim, Emery could be an option to bring stability at Old Trafford, and, perhaps, usher in a new era under INEOS.
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Deepungsu Pandit
Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.
