Ruben Amorim has divided opinion since taking charge at Manchester United in November 2024. The Portuguese arrived at the Theatre of Dreams with an impressive record, having won the league twice with Sporting.
INEOS put their trust in Amorim to try and get the Premier League giants back to the top, but 11 months into the job, he has yet to convince.
The Portuguese struggled to get going last season, finishing the campaign in 15th place in the league, while losing the Europa League final 0-1 to Tottenham Hotspur.
United, however, opted to continue with Amorim over the summer and also backed him heavily in the transfer market. The English giants invested over £200m on Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, and Senne Lammens, but results have failed to improve.
United are 10th in the Premier League
United have won just three of their seven games in the Premier League this season, losing three others, and are 10th in the league table. They have also bowed out of the EFL Cup in the second round at the hands of League Two minnows Grimsby Town.
Things appeared to hit rock bottom against Brentford at the end of last month, when Amorim’s team succumbed to a 1-3 defeat at the Gtech Community Stadium. United legend Wayne Rooney was unimpressed by the result and even suggested that the Portuguese head coach wouldn’t be able to turn things around at Old Trafford.
However, INEOS resisted the urge to wield the axe, and the Red Devils responded by picking up a 2-0 win over newly promoted Sunderland on Saturday.
The result eased the pressure on Amorim, and has now prompted the club legend to make a U-turn.
United need a string of wins
Speaking to Sky Sports at the Legends of Football dinner in London on Monday, Rooney said that he wants Amorim to do well at the Theatre of Dreams.
“A good result at the weekend. A high-pressure game for the manager, the players, the club, and I thought they played really well, [they were] efficient,” said Rooney.
“I want and do hope that Amorim does well and the form turns around. As I’ve said, he’s a fantastic young manager but if you’re not getting results, the pressure is going to come on you. I really do hope he turns it around.
“He changed it a bit at the weekend, more with two up front and went a bit more direct. You’ve got to give him credit because he has said he won’t change, but he did slightly change it, and it worked. We now need to see four, five, six wins in a row, which will get you up the table.”
Rooney has also heaped praise on Senne Lammens and Benjamin Sesko following their exploits against Sunderland. The Belgian custodian made his debut for United against the Black Cats and was an assured presence between the sticks. Sesko, meanwhile, scored his second goal for the club to help them secure all three points over the weekend.
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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. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.
