Rúben Amorim is missing the mark: Times of urgency at Manchester United

The victory over a struggling Manchester City side gave Rúben Amorim and the Red Devils a glimmer of hope.

However, Manchester United faced a harsh reality check midweek with a 4-3 defeat to Tottenham, followed by a surprising 3-0 loss at home to Bournemouth. Criticism of Rúben Amorim’s management quickly surfaced.

“Who would have thought ten years ago that Bournemouth would win 3-0 twice in a row at Old Trafford?” This was just one of many comments circulating last Sunday after Andoni Iraola’s team handed Manchester United another heavy defeat.

On December 9, 2023, it was Erik ten Hag on the sidelines during the first of these losses; yesterday, it was the turn of Portuguese coach Rúben Amorim.

Set Piece Woes

Manchester United has once again displayed glaring weaknesses in the Premier League, particularly in set pieces, which have left them languishing in the lower half of the table, far from their initial goals.

The situation is dire, as even a confident coach like Rúben Amorim finds himself hitting a wall.

“It is difficult. In this context, it’s hard to aim for two or three wins. We try, but this game was tough for us. In these moments, everything becomes challenging. The set pieces, the penalty, and then we want to score again but we get too nervous. We have to fight against that,” he stated after the weekend’s defeat.

Whenever the idea of a turnaround is suggested, it quickly gets shut down. Manchester United beats Manchester City? They promptly lose to Tottenham in the League Cup and then suffer a humiliating defeat to Bournemouth at home.

Unsurprisingly, after two significant losses, the Portuguese coach faces mounting criticism in various articles from the ever-vocal English press. The inconsistency in their performances has raised doubts about his tactical skills and his ability to motivate the team.

Bold Decisions by Ruben Amorim

Rúben Amorim has shown he’s not afraid to make tough choices, as seen in his decision to leave Marcus Rashford out of the squad for the third consecutive time.

“It’s my decision, and it will always be that way,” he stated on ‘Skysports‘. His choice to bench both Garnacho and Rashford paid off with a win against Manchester City. However, when results don’t go as planned, the narrative changes.

Amorim faces a challenging schedule ahead, starting with his first Boxing Day match away at Wolverhampton, followed by a home game against Newcastle, and then tough encounters with Liverpool and Arsenal in January.

These matches are critical for Amorim to demonstrate his capabilities and turn the season around. The pressure is increasing, and the results of these games could significantly impact his future at the club.