Ruben Amorim is battling to maintain the trust of his Manchester United squad after their humiliating derby collapse. Sunday’s defeat at the hands of Manchester City has intensified the scrutiny on Amorim, with the Portuguese boss now fighting for his position. It is believed several of United’s experienced players have grown increasingly frustrated and confused by Amorim’s stubborn adherence to his tactical approach.
His inflexible 3-4-3 system and his unwillingness to consider alternative setups is understood to have sparked significant alarm amongst influential squad members. Some United stars are reportedly feeling that Amorim is doing them a disservice by continuously demanding they operate within a framework they are not suited to execute.
The heat is building on Amorim to engineer a turnaround at United following their dismal campaign opening, which has yielded just four points from four matches.
United insiders maintain that ‘nothing has changed’ regarding their confidence in Amorim and that he continues to enjoy unwavering support from the club’s leadership.
However, fans were left shell-shocked by their team’s feeble surrender at the Etihad Stadium, with many believing they were fortunate to escape with merely a 3-0 defeat.
United have secured victory in only one fixture this campaign, requiring a late penalty to overcome newly-promoted Burnley, and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two outfit Grimsby Town.
Following a 15th-place finish last term, their worst league result in fifty years, Amorim desperately needed a robust beginning to the fresh season but has fallen woefully short.
Despite only securing eight victories in his 31 Premier League matches in charge, and United’s dismal four-point start to the season, their worst since 1992, Amorim has received significant backing in the transfer market.
This summer, United splashed out nearly £236million to bolster his squad. However, many of their expensive new signings are yet to make a significant impact. Meanwhile, Amorim remains steadfast in his tactical approach and formation.
United icon Wayne Rooney has voiced his concerns over the team’s performance under Amorim, who took over from Erik ten Hag 10 months ago.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Rooney said: “It’s hard to see how it continues,” and “I don’t think anyone can understand and comprehend what’s going on. Frankly, it’s not good enough.
“I want to be as supportive and positive as I can be on the manager and the players. But it’s very difficult to sit here and say we’re seeing progression and at least we’re seeing things that will get results in the near future.
“When Ten Hag got sacked and Ruben came in, we were hearing how they’re going to play and how it was going to change. I think if the manager is honest with himself, it’s got worse.”
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