It has been almost a year since Manchester United appointed Ruben Amorim as their manager, replacing Erik ten Hag, and in the subsequent 12 months, the Red Devils have resembled a relegation team. The results have been disastrous in all competitions, and the performances have left a lot to be desired.
Amorim arrived at Old Trafford from Sporting CP with a clear plan on how he wanted his team to play. The manager wanted to deploy the same 3-4-3 system that he used back in Portugal, but last season, he simply didn’t have the players needed to execute that system.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS-backed Amorim financially in the summer transfer window, allowing him to bring in players he deemed best for his system. This saw the arrival of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko in the attack, as well as Senne Lammens for the goalkeeping department.
Results – a mixed bag
Despite the reinforcements, the results have been a mixed bag thus far for Amorim and Man Utd. There seemed to be a lot of pressure on the manager before their 2-0 win over Sunderland last weekend. Fans are slowly but surely growing impatient with the inconsistencies.
In light of these events, Sir Jim Ratcliffe was asked about the future of the Portuguese tactician on the M16 touchline, and as quoted by Fabrizio Romano, the businessman put all his trust in Amorim. He said:
“I remember the pressures that were calling for Sir Alex Ferguson’s sacking in his first two years. Look at Arteta with Arsenal, he faced a tough time in his first two years. We have to be patient and look at the results in the long term.”
Ratcliffe was then asked how long he intends on giving Amorim, and he made it clear that he has a three-year vision in mind. He continued:
“Yes. Three years because things don’t happen overnight.”
Trust the process
Amorim has already used up one of those three years, but it has to be said that the team has shown signs of improvement on the pitch so far this season. Although the results haven’t always backed up this fact, the style of play has become distinguished, and when it comes off, it looks good.
It must also be said that the Portuguese tactician is working with a lot of new players. The likes of Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko are yet to completely gel into the system, and it could take a month or two before we start seeing the team in full flow. For Amorim, it would be a good thing to work with complete confidence.