Amorim Reflects on Manchester United’s Struggles Amidst Disappointing Form

Manchester United has secured victories in only two of their six Premier League matches under the management of Ruben Amorim. The club’s current situation appears increasingly bleak following a 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, a team described as “little” by owner Bill Foley, marking the second consecutive season this result has occurred. This loss places United 13th in the league table for Christmas, a position in the bottom half at this stage not seen since before the Premier League era. Supporters, who expressed their disapproval by booing Ruben Amorim’s team off the pitch at the final whistle, are further incensed by a recent ticket price increase to a flat £66 with no concessions. In response, they plan to unite with fans of rival club Liverpool to protest when the two teams meet at Anfield on January 5. During his post-match press conference, as Amorim conveyed his perception that fans were “tired,” a ceiling leak caused water to drip onto journalists in the front row, compelling one to relocate. While some fans might find amusement in journalists covering their club getting soaked, the incident added to the public spectacle. However, for Amorim, Manchester United’s predicament is a serious matter. Defender Lisandro Martinez informed Match of the Day that the team’s on-field performance makes him “angry,” underscoring the pressure on his manager to find solutions. “In this moment, everything is so hard,” Amorim stated. “At a club like Manchester United, to lose 3-0 at home, it’s really tough for everybody.” He added, “Of course the fans are really disappointed and tired. You can feel it in the stadium in the first play. At the first goal-kick with Andre Onana, he’s thinking what to do and pushing the other guys and everybody is so anxious.” Amorim concluded, “I understand that, but we have to face it.” Ruben Amorim has now overseen three defeats in his six Premier League fixtures since taking over from Erik ten Hag last month. A notable change introduced by the Portuguese coach is an increased level of control in matches, reflected in higher possession statistics, such as 60% in the recent game, and more shots and shots on target than Bournemouth. Despite these metrics, the team suffered another significant loss. This marks only the second occasion in the club’s history—the other being against Burnley in the 1960s—that they have lost consecutive home games against the same opponent by a three-goal margin. A significant contributing factor to their struggles is the persistent concession of goals from set-pieces. This issue manifested twice against Arsenal earlier this month and in their last home game against Nottingham Forest. At Tottenham on Thursday, Son Heung-min scored directly from a corner. Bournemouth also capitalized on a set-piece in the first half, despite manager Andoni Iraola admitting his team is “not a tall team.” Nevertheless, from a free-kick floated over by Ryan Christie from the right touchline, teenage defender Dean Huijsen easily evaded Joshua Zirkzee to flick a header into the far corner. While not all these incidents occurred under Amorim’s direct supervision, United has now conceded 17 goals from set-pieces in the Premier League in 2024, representing their highest tally in a single calendar year in the competition. These recent defensive lapses prompt questions regarding the role of set-piece coach Carlos Fernandes, who joined Amorim from Sporting. Amorim, however, refrained from assigning blame. “The responsibility is on me, not Carlos,” he asserted. “We are a team in good moments and bad moments. We have a way of doing things. We are working on that and we are going to improve on that. But we didn’t lose because of set pieces. We lost because we create more chances and didn’t score.” Speaking to Match of the Day, Martinez offered a more direct assessment. “We are so angry with this kind of situation,” the Argentina defender stated. “We have to work on set-pieces especially.” He added, “I believe a lot in this team and staff. If they don’t score their first goal from a set-piece then it is a totally different game.” Amorim’s squad is also hindered by a perceived lack of quality. The Portuguese manager entrusted Tyrell Malacia with the left wing-back position, but substituted the Dutchman at half-time due to frequent giveaways and a lack of offensive contribution. Diogo Dalot was moved to the left side, but his attacking efforts lacked conviction. Noussair Mazraoui, shifted to left wing-back from a three-man defense, committed a rash tackle on Justin Kluivert, which resulted in a penalty that doubled Bournemouth’s lead. Further up the pitch, only skipper Bruno Fernandes posed a threat to the Bournemouth goal. Marcus Rashford was omitted for the third consecutive game, though he was present at Old Trafford to witness the unfolding events. When questioned about the England forward’s potential inclusion for the Boxing Day trip to Wolves, Amorim responded, “It depends, we will see.”