Reuben Amorim is approaching a year in charge of Manchester United, but it’s safe to say that his tenure so far has been a major disappointment for all involved.
The 40-year-old arrived from Sports CP with great excitement after his title won the previous year, but this feeling certainly flares up over the past few months.
He only won 38% of the 47 games he is in charge of. As a result, the Red Devils finished in the Premier League in an embarrassing 15th place.
Such forms on the pitch lead to big questions asked about his long-term future at Old Trafford, and could potentially leave the board if their broody form continues in 2025/26.
In addition to his failures on the pitch, his decision-making is also very controversial, and the situation surrounding one player has been heavily criticized by many people across the country.
United standoff with Amorim in Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford was a player who came through the United Academy System, which had a major impact on the first team’s team, earning a total of 426 appearances in the boyhood side.
After Amorim’s appointment, the British were used for most of the new manager’s match. He scored his first goal in his tenure with Ipswichtown.
However, the attackers quickly got out of pecking orders and were then removed from training the first team and forced to work with the youth team before temporarily moving to Aston Villa over the winter.
Rashford returned to his parent club during the offseason, but it quickly became clear that he would once again be removed from Amorim’s team – with the option of renting out and buying it to Barcelona.
He has already started three times on Hanshiflic’s side, and despite his recent snub at Old Trafford, he has not wasted time showing the talent he still owns to the Red Devils boss.
The Winger got off to a start in the Champions League last night, winning twice with a 2-1 win at Newcastle United, proving that he still could be more than he could appear in Europe’s biggest competition.
But moving Rashford through the doors of the Dream Theater isn’t the only obvious error the manager has been at the helm. If such circumstances continue in the near future, his future needs to be questioned.
Decision of Amorim, a lootable attack at United
One of the main topics about Amorim’s future is his current system, and given the low league in 2024/25, his 3-4-2-1 formation clearly does not have the desired effect.
Most other managers are open to the idea of moving on to another tactic to try and revive an ongoing slump, but that seems to be something a 40-year-old doesn’t want to do.
He said he will not leave his current philosophy after the Manchester Derby defeat last weekend – saying the club must change guys before he changes his ideas.
The main issue arising from such a system is the lack of quality and impact from the mid-central duo, often overrunning and unable to address the threat posed by the opposition.
Kobbie Mainoo was a regular on the side during the 2023/24 campaign before Amorim took the reins last November, but since his arrival, the youth has been much more difficult to get minutes of time.
The 20-year-old looks like the next great talent that once emerges from the club’s infamous academy setup, and despite his tender age, he is already responsible for many famous moments.
From the last minute winner against Wolverhampton Wanderers to the final FA Cup goal against Manchester City, the midfielder was able to really produce goods in the breakout year.
However, his progress has undoubtedly been stagnant since the former sports CP boss took the reins, starting 20-league matches in 2024/25.
The same situation has been repeated in the new season, featuring only 73 minutes in the Premier League total to date, along with the British, who has been labelled “superficial” by Andy Townsend.
Kobbie Mainoo -PL Stats (2024/25) | |
|---|---|
Statistics (per 90) | totalling |
The game has been played | twenty five |
I played a few minutes | 1656 |
Accuracy | 87% |
Possibility of being created | 1.7 |
The dribbling was successful | 1.3 |
The tackle won | 63% |
The duel won | 5.9 |
Intercept has been performed | 1.2 |
Recovery has been done | 4.8 |
Statistics via FOTMOB | |
It is baffling to see such a promising young talent being alienated after the impressive start of life, desperately in need of game time to continue his development.
Mainoo’s recent shortage in minutes has even called for the midfielder to request a temporary move from the club, but it was quickly denied, adding more of the pain he endured under Amorim.
Rashford’s success from United is one thing, but the manager’s stubbornness to not exploit Mine could prove to be his co-founding nail over the coming weeks.
It is clear that your boss is not making the most of the club’s current players’ harvest. This allows many others to chase after Rashford and search for regular minutes to get their once-exciting careers back on track.
