{"id":426216,"date":"2025-09-15T12:09:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T12:09:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/426216\/"},"modified":"2025-09-15T12:09:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T12:09:16","slug":"i-cant-see-how-this-manchester-united-manager-avoids-getting-the-sack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/426216\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I can’t see how this Manchester United manager avoids getting the sack’"},"content":{"rendered":"

There was an emptying away end before full-time at the Etihad and the feeling will have been empty for the Man United fans again.\"Samuel<\/p>\n

Samuel joined the Manchester Evening News in 2014 and is the Chief Manchester United writer. He has broken exclusives on Jose Mourinho’s appointment, the re-signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking, the club’s interest in Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag, as well as numerous other transfers and team news. He has represented the MEN on the BBC, Sky News, Sky Sports News, TalkSport, Radio 5 Live, CNN and various other media outlets worldwide.
\nTo receive Samuel’s weekly newsletter for exclusive views and insight, subscribe at https:\/\/insideoldtrafford.substack.com\/about<\/p>\n

\"EmptyEmpty stands and empty feelings<\/p>\n

“I can’t see how this manager is avoiding the sack,” a Manchester United season-ticket holder who was in the away end at the Etihad messaged. “He\u2019s had a free pass until now and it was always the case that he had to start the season well. He certainly hasn\u2019t.”<\/p>\n

Another was in the lower tier and remained until the end. “Personally, I think he’s finished,” he admitted. “Loads of reds want him to do well but there’s nothing at all to say he’s the man.”<\/p>\n

“He’s getting hammered in the pub,” another said. He was not referring to Ruben Amorim drowning his sorrows.<\/p>\n

“Amorim is like a pigeon,” another messaged, “endlessly crashing into a glass window, dazed and stubborn, convinced he\u2019ll break through if he just keeps at it.”<\/p>\n

This is not the United matchgoers outright turning against Amorim. They are just resigned to another in-season managerial change.<\/p>\n

Amorim fronts up in defeat by strolling onto the pitch to applaud the supporters. There were only a handful remaining in the three tiers of the Etihad’s South Stand at full-time on Sunday.<\/p>\n

City scoring at least three times, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland on the scoresheet, an emptying away end and an empty feeling. We have become accustomed to this watching United in derbies over the past 12 years. Amorim copped similar treatment to David Moyes, Jose Mourinho, Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag.<\/p>\n

And even if Amorim survives long enough to brave the red flares outside Anfield next month, Liverpool have form for immediately, or eventually, seeing off a United manager.<\/p>\n

Moyes was sacked 37 days after a 3-0 defeat. Van Gaal was sacked 74 days after a 2-0 defeat. Mourinho was sacked two days after a 3-1 defeat. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked 28 days after a 5-0 drubbing. Ten Hag was sacked 57 days after a 3-0 defeat.<\/p>\n

One sensed at Grimsby that Amorim had gone past the point of no return. That it was in the League Cup and on penalties barely tempered the nuclear fallout from that humiliation. Some players who started that night are unlikely to ever play for United again.<\/p>\n

\"AmorimAmorim is past the point of no return<\/p>\n

The summer recruitment already appears dubious. United have the ingredients for an appetising filling but their sandwich crumbles with a flaky base and top.<\/p>\n

It is on Amorim that he promoted Altay Bayindir to first choice. In 15 appearances for United, Bayindir has conceded 26 goals.<\/p>\n

Senne Lammens is inexperienced, such an unknown quantity he was at United’s original feeder club, and was not one of the four goalkeepers in the Belgium squad this month. He is due a chance sooner rather than later for the sake of variety.<\/p>\n

Benjamin Sesko had his most accomplished outing for United at City yet fired blanks again. It is seven goalless games for club and country this season. Rasmus Hojlund, typically, has found the back of the net for club and country since he fled the United maelstrom.<\/p>\n

\"CityCity fans rub it in with the Poznan<\/p>\n

Luke Shaw’s stint as an auxiliary centre back may be over. Amorim, like Ten Hag, favours a left-footer on the left of central defence. The more sensible strategy would be to pick an actual centre back.<\/p>\n

Entrusting Shaw in the Europa League final backfired and it was a matter of time until it did so again this season. Harry Maguire is a specialist centre half and a better defender than Shaw but has been reduced to an impact substitute capable of increasing United’s lowly goal threat.<\/p>\n

United’s script on their weakened midfield has already come back to haunt them. Club sources claimed the area was never their priority in the transfer window given the “strong and versatile options available”.<\/p>\n

\"UnitedUnited are a mess<\/p>\n

Casemiro’s only memorable performances this calendar year were restricted to the Europa League and United are not in Europe. Kobbie Mainoo has not started a league game since May, with Manuel Ugarte recalled ahead of him in the derby despite his first-half horror show at Grimsby.<\/p>\n

Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount are not specialists. Mount has got injured in the second league fixture in each of his three seasons with United and then been sidelined for at least three weeks.<\/p>\n

Three opponents have scored against United through runs from deep. Fernandes was at the scene of the crime again for Phil Foden’s 18th-minute header.<\/p>\n

Amorim clutched at straws. “Guys, I understand how football is,” he said. “The results will dictate all the narratives.<\/p>\n

\"AmorimAmorim faces the music at full-time<\/p>\n

“Against Arsenal, do you think we play well?”<\/p>\n

Yes.<\/p>\n

“Do you think we are the better team?”<\/p>\n

Yes.<\/p>\n

“Do you think that (Martin) Odegaard, (Declan) Rice and (Martin) Zubimendi are three top midfielders?”<\/p>\n

Yes.<\/p>\n

“They play with three. We play with two. One was Casemiro, the other was Bruno. Sometimes it is the dynamic of the team. Sometimes it is an opportunity that you score. I see it that way. I know that it is really hard for people [to understand]. The fans don’t want to hear me saying these things. I know that they are not going to listen to nothing and be upset. With that, I cannot do nothing.”<\/p>\n

Amorim reiterated that United would only stop playing in the 3-4-2-1 system he is wedded to if they change manager. If he suddenly switched to a back four, United would not necessarily look much better.<\/p>\n

\"FernandesFernandes had a day to forget<\/p>\n

Lammens in goal, Noussair Mazraoui at right back, Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt at centre half and Patrick Dorgu at left back, with Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo in midfield, Fernandes as the No.10 with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha either side and Benjamin Sesko up front does not scream Champions League qualifying contenders.<\/p>\n

And as enterprising as United were against Arsenal, they lost without scoring to a team that did not perform and protected a 13th-minute goal gifted to them.<\/p>\n

That does not grant the manager a free pass.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There was an emptying away end before full-time at the Etihad and the feeling will have been empty…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":426217,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8813],"tags":[748,393,4884,2465,423,99,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-426216","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manchester","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-manchester","12":"tag-manchester-united-fc","13":"tag-ruben-amorim","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115208242891459800","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=426216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426216\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/426217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=426216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=426216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=426216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}