Ruben Amorim has acknowledged that Manchester United must seek a new head coach if he fails to alter the prevailing losing mentality at Old Trafford in the upcoming season.
Reports indicate that the Red Devils are indeed considering this course of action should Amorim’s poor performance in the Premier League continue into the new campaign. United suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat at home to West Ham United on Sunday, marking their 17th loss in the league this season.
The M16 club found themselves in 17th place for part of the match, a position now held by their Europa League final rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, following their defeat to Crystal Palace.
However, 16th place offers little improvement, and Amorim conducted a forthright press conference shortly after granting West Ham their first victory in nine matches.
“I don’t want to talk about players. I’m talking about myself and the culture in the club,” Amorim explained at Old Trafford.
“The culture in the team. I have that feeling: we need to change that. We need to be really strong in the summer and to be brave because we will not have a next season like this.
“If we start like this, if the feeling is still here, we should give space [my job] to different persons.”
As reported by The Athletic in April, should the current trend of defeats persist, United is likely to respond to Amorim’s startling remarks. It is suggested that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Sir Dave Brailsford, and Omar Berrada are keen to prevent further negative attention that would arise from dismissing their initial managerial choice so quickly.
Nevertheless, the current trajectory of the club is deemed unacceptable and will not be permitted to continue to such an extent in the upcoming season. Amorim joined United as one of Europe’s most esteemed coaches, yet his reputation has significantly declined since November.
He has recorded 13 losses out of 25 Premier League matches, with the team scoring 30 goals and conceding 41, resulting in a mere 24 points and an average of 0.96 points per game. There is a recognition that Amorim took over a squad from Erik ten Hag that was ill-equipped to adapt to a three-at-the-back formation.
The Portuguese manager is expected to receive support during the summer transfer window, with the acquisition of at least two new forwards being a top priority for United. However, despite being in his first full season as head coach, Amorim will undoubtedly face considerable pressure from the outset following a challenging past seven months.
Should United remain at the lower end of the Premier League standings by October of this year, the 40-year-old will find himself in a precarious position.
Leave a Reply