Ruben Amorim’s terrible Man United record compared to predecessors

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12th in Premier League 

©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 at Old Trafford certainly had the desired effect. Amorim told journalists his remarks would dominate the headlines and that was his precise intention with United languishing in 12th place in the Premier League. Despite encouraging performances against Liverpool and Arsenal, United have reverted to their feeble standards in their last two games.

Bottom of the league Southampton should have beat United in midweek and Brighton were far superior on Sunday. United have narrowly avoided relegation to the third-tier of English football in their history so Amorim’s comments simply don’t add up. Those of a cynical persuasion would argue they were intended to divert attention from his tactical struggles and to buy him some time with supporters. The Portuguese manager arrived at Old Trafford with an exceptional reputation after his exploits at Sporting CP 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

The defeat to Brighton was United’s sixth defeat in 11 Premier League games since Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag and there’s been little sign of a new manager bounce. Amorim admitted his record wasn’t good enough after the defeat to Brighton, stating: “It’s unacceptable to lose so many games. For any Premier League club, imagine Manchester United”. 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 Brighton was the former Sporting CP manager’s 11th league fixture and he’s only picked up 11 points – an average of one per game and 33.3% of possible points. Amorim’s record is five points inferior to the second lowest manager Louis van Gaal, with the Dutchman picking up 16 from 33 available across his first 11 league games. Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the only manager since Ferguson to amass more than 20 points across their first 11 games with the Norwegian winning an impressive 29 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.

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.