The Red Devils look worse than ever under the Portuguese tactician, but he's shown real bravery in dire circumstances
"I truly believe in the players. I know you [the media] don't believe a lot, but I do. I want to try new things. You guys don't think it's possible, but I do. Call me naïve, but I truly feel that I am the right man in the right moment. I could be wrong, but the earth will turn and the sun will rise again, it doesn't matter, and I am not worried about that. I truly believe that I am the right guy for this job."
Just three months on from his opening press conference, you have to wonder if Ruben Amorim still has that same belief in his Manchester United players. United have only won four of their first 15 Premier League games under the Portuguese, which has left them wasting away in 15th place, just 13 points above the drop zone.
Relegation still seems unlikely given how much newly-promoted-trio Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton have struggled, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility, because United have been bad. And even if Amorim keeps them in the top flight, he won't escape the embarrassment of overseeing their worst-ever finish in the Premier League era.
As such, some critics believe that Amorim has already been proven wrong. Their consensus is that United have hit a historic new low on the 40-year-old's watch, and the players haven't improved, so how can he be the "right guy" to take the club forward?
However, that viewpoint doesn't take into account the huge risk Amorim took by leaving his comfort zone at Sporting CP to try and clean up the mother of all messes at Old Trafford. Things were always going to get worse before they got better. Amorim has conducted himself with dignity and class in the face of unfair scrutiny, while also refusing to budge on his ideals, and might just be the ' guy' capable of seeing this daunting project through.
Getty 'We have so many problems'
United's latest setback came at Goodison Park on Saturday, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Everton, who are enjoying a resurgence under former Red Devils boss David Moyes. But it could have been a lot worse.
Everton dominated the first half and went in at the break with a two-goal lead. Incredibly, United failed to muster a single shot on target in the first 70 minutes of the game, and only sparked into life after Bruno Fernandes curled a low free-kick into the far corner of the net to reduce the arrears.
Manuel Ugarte then earned United a point with a brilliant volleyed finish in the 80th minute, though they did also have VAR to thank for overturning a last-gasp Everton penalty. But there was no reason to celebrate, certainly not for Amorim.
When asked why he has yet to build any momentum in terms of positive results at United, Amorim told after the game: "I don't know. If I knew, I would change it. We have to continue to think in the next game, everything we do in the week we have to use it in the game. If we do that, we are near to winning games like we did in the second half. In this moment we need to focus on day by day. We need to survive this season, and then to think ahead.
"We have so many problems, and then when we go to the game and let the time pass, it's really hard. I don't want to just say the negative part, the second half was so much better in the belief. In the end we were near to winning this game."
AdvertisementGetty Images SportBest way to affect real change
Amorim's honesty has counted against him since his arrival at Old Trafford. His refusal to make any excuses for bad performances, or indeed try to sugar-coat the limitations of the squad, which he famously branded "the worst in the club's history", has led to questions about his leadership style.
But Ten Hag was the polar opposite, and there is no doubt whatsoever that his approach didn't work. The Dutchman became a laughing stock due to his delusional ravings, claiming United were making progress after every miserable defeat, and he showed blind loyalty to a host of players who were guilty of letting the team down.
At least now the man in charge is facing the problems head-on instead of burying his head in the sand. It's true: United are in survival mode, and Amorim is learning who he can and cannot trust in this time of crisis.
Most of the first-team squad are fighting for their futures at the club. Amorim is demanding the highest possible standards from a group severely lacking in quality and character, which is the best way to change the culture of mediocrity that has been allowed to run rampant at Old Trafford over the past decade.
GOAL/Getty'Stick to the plan!'
A large number of fans and pundits have called for Amorim to tweak his tactics to halt United's slide. This was the case again at half-time at Goodison Park, but Amorim never considered any kind of deviation from the 3-4-3 formation that served him so well at Sporting.
"[He told us] to stick to the plan, that's what the manager was very upset with us [about]," Fernandes revealed to . "To stick to the plan that we have during the season to make it work, even if things are not going well. We have to stick to what our ideas are."
Amorim confirmed as much by adding: "In training, we continue to do the same. That's why in the second half we didn't change anything, we have to do the same thing, but in a good way." So far, that attitude has merely led to Amorim being labelled as a stubborn, one-dimensional coach, but the bigger picture isn't being taken into consideration.
The main reason for Ten Hag's failure was his team's lack of identity. With no clear plan or patterns of play, United were relying purely on individual brilliance, which simply wasn't sustainable. United won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in spite of Ten Hag's input, not because of it.
A bull-headed leader was needed to undo the damage done by Ten Hag, and that's exactly what United now have in Amorim. There will be progress if he is afforded patience, though much will also depend on if he is backed in the transfer market in the same way his predecessor was.
Getty/GOALPaying the price
The "problems" Amorim keeps referring to are almost entirely out of his control. United's injury list is the main one, with Amad Diallo and Lisandro Martinez ruled out for the remainder of the season, Kobbie Mainoo facing "weeks" on the sidelines, and firm return dates still not forthcoming for Luke Shaw and Mason Mount.
Amad and Mainoo are arguably the best players in the United squad, along with Fernandes, while Martinez is the only centre-half who can naturally play on the left of Amorim's three-man defence. It's no surprise, then, that the Red Devils are shipping too many goals and creating so little at the other end.
The January signing of promising young full-back Patrick Dorgu was a step in the right direction, but United need to bring in more high-quality defensive reinforcements in the summer, and find a replacement for calamitous goalkeeper Andre Onana. Upfront, meanwhile, a major overhaul will be necessary.
Rasmus Hojlund was subbed for 17-year-old Chido Obi with United losing 2-0 against Everton, which means he has now gone 16 games across all competitions without scoring. It's fair to say now that the £72 million ($90m) United paid Atalanta for the Danish striker's services in 2023 was a complete waste of money.
That's not yet true of £36m ($45m) Joshua Zirkzee, who is clearly a decent footballer, but his end product has to improve dramatically. The enigmatic Argentine, Alejandro Garnacho, is just as frustrating in that respect, and Amorim has had no choice but to turn to the academy to try and muddle through.
It's clear Amorim is paying the price for Ten Hag's poor decision-making. How can he blamed for United's short-falls when he played no part in creating them?
