Manchester United’s 2024/25 season has been anything but smooth. After a disappointing start to the campaign, the club made a bold decision in October to part ways with Erik ten Hag and appoint Ruben Amorim as his replacement.
The Portuguese coach arrived from Sporting CP with an impressive track record, having won the Liga Portugal title twice. However, despite the high expectations, United’s fortunes have not improved significantly under his leadership—especially in the Premier League.
Since taking charge, Amorim has managed just two wins in seven home games, with his team losing three of their last five league matches. As a result, the Red Devils currently find themselves in a worrying 13th place in the Premier League standings.
The lack of progress has led to growing frustration among fans and pundits alike, with Manchester United legend Gary Neville openly questioning whether the club was actually in a better position under Ten Hag.
READ ALSO: Australia Bans DeepSeek on Government Devices
Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, the former United defender expressed his disappointment with the team’s performances under Amorim. “
I thought it would get better when Ruben Amorim came in. I thought the enthusiasm and the new system, I thought they’d buy into it, and we’d see a bounce. We’ve seen the absolute opposite. It’s got a lot worse, and that’s surprising.”
Neville also highlighted the psychological impact of continuous defeats, warning that a string of poor results could damage the squad’s confidence and make it even harder for Amorim to implement his ideas.
READ ALSO: Canada Secures 30-Day Pause on US Tariffs After Talks with Trump
“There’s going to be a lot more pain towards the end of the season, and it is going to be damaging. They’re obviously going to stick with Ruben Amorim, but the more you lose, the more difficult it is to convince the players of the idea he talked about in the early days. You need the players to buy into it, but if they lose with it and keep getting criticized, the spotlight comes on them more, and the fans leave unhappy.”
Neville further pointed out that the continuous losses could lead to a complete loss of faith in Amorim’s system among the players.
“You can’t keep losing. It will depress the thoughts of the players, to the point where they’ll lose faith in the idea. It’ll damage the start of next season. He has to do something. He can’t change his approach because he’s committed to it, and rightly so. But I think he’s lost more games at Manchester United since he arrived than he lost in his last 75 at Sporting.”
United’s next test comes on Friday night, as they face Leicester City in the FA Cup fourth round. With pressure mounting, this match could be a crucial moment for Amorim to regain some control and restore confidence in his tactics.
Discover more from Cine critique
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.