‘Worst team in history’
Is Ruben Amorim under pressure? Man Utd boss’s abysmal record compared to predecessors
©TM/IMAGO
“We are the worst team, maybe, in the history of Manchester United”. Ruben Amorim’s pointed comments after Brighton’s 3-1 triumph against United sparked in January sent shockwaves around the club. While Amorim has subsequently backtracked on the severity of those remarks, United are on course to record their worst ever finish in the English Premier League era, and by some distance.
United’s 8th place finish under Erik ten Hag last season was their lowest ever since the inauguration of the competition for the 1992/93 season. But after losing 1-0 to Tottenham on Sunday, United are languishing in 15th place in the table and could feasibly be dragged into an unthinkable relegation battle. Amorim arrived from Sporting CP with a glowing reputation and he retains the backing of the United support but his record in the Premier League is woeful compared to his predecessors.
Ruben Amorim’s Premier League record compared to predecessors
Despite impressive results against Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal, Amorim has failed to make a positive impact at United and there’s little sign of improvement. United are completely insipid in attack with Amorim’s stubbornness in sticking to his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation now causing serious debate amongst fans. The Red Devils dominated English football for over a decade under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson but their fall from grace since his retirement in 2013 has been astounding. United have appointed highly-respected managers since Ferguson but they’ve all been unable to return the club to former glories and it’s widely accepted that Amorim needs a complete overhaul of his squad.
But as the graphic above illustrates, Amorim has endured the worst start of any manager, post Ferguson, in the Premier League. The defeat to Tottenham was United’s eighth in 14 Premier League games under Amorim and he’s only recorded four wins. When analysing every United manager post Sir Alex Ferguson, Amorim’s record is seven points inferior to the second lowest manager Jose Mourinho. Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the only manager since Ferguson to amass more than 30 points across their first 14 games with the Norwegian winning an impressive 35 points.
How much blame does Ruben Amorim deserve for Manchester United’s woes?
Amorim’s appointment by United was widely viewed as a coup given his impressive success with Sporting CP. He transformed the Lisbon clubs’ fortunes and delivered them their first title in over a decade, with their 4-1 triumph over Manchester City in the Champions League reflecting their success. Amorim adopted a 3-4-2-1 formation and Sporting and he’s refused to change his philosophy at United despite lacking the ideal players for that formation.
Staff
R. Amorim
Age: 40
Manchester United
Season 24/25
–
Premier League
Games
16
Won
5
Draw
3
Lost
8
The United boss stated that there will be difficult times during the short-term as he looks to revive the club. Amorim has the overwhelming support of the United fanbase and hierarchy but a failure to improve results will lead to scrutiny. While some will applaud Amorim for sticking by his principles to assess his squad ahead of next season, others will question whether it is counterproductive.