For football fans, few stories are as gripping as a new manager stepping into the cauldron of a struggling giant, armed with ambition and a playbook that promises redemption. Enter Rúben Amorim, the Portuguese tactician who’s taken the reins at Manchester United. With a reputation forged in the fires of success at Sporting Lisbon, Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford has sports lovers buzzing: Can this 40-year-old maestro orchestrate a revival for the Red Devils? Let’s dive into his journey, his challenges, and whether he’s the man to bring glory back to Manchester.
Who Is Rúben Amorim?
Picture this: a young, charismatic coach, barely into his 30s, stepping up to manage Sporting Lisbon in 2020, a club that hadn’t won the Portuguese Primeira Liga in 19 years. That’s Rúben Amorim. A former midfielder with a modest playing career—most notably at Benfica—Amorim quickly showed he was a different breed as a manager. In his first full season (2020-21), he delivered a double whammy: the Taça da Liga (League Cup) and the Primeira Liga title, ending that agonizing 19-year drought. The stats? Sporting lost just once in 34 league games that season. His team played with swagger—direct, vertical football, fluid build-up play, and a rock-solid defense that conceded a miserly 20 goals all campaign.
Amorim’s magic wasn’t a fluke. Over his four-year stint, he added another Taça da Liga and a second Primeira Liga title (2023-24), losing only six league games in his final 75 matches at Sporting. His 3-4-3 system became his signature: disciplined yet dynamic, with wing-backs bombing forward and a high press that suffocated opponents. Sporting became a fortress under him, and Manchester United, desperate for a savior after years of mediocrity, took notice.
By late 2024, Manchester United were a shadow of their former selves. Erik ten Hag’s sacking in October came after a dismal start to the 2024-25 season—13th in the Premier League, knocked out early in cup competitions, and a squad plagued by inconsistency. The club craved stability, identity, and a manager who could maximize a talented but underperforming roster. Amorim’s track record screamed “winner.” His ability to transform Sporting into a title-winning machine, coupled with his modern, attacking philosophy, made him the hottest property in Europe. United moved fast, reportedly paying €11 million to prise him from Sporting in November 2024. The hope? That he’d replicate his Lisbon miracles in Manchester.
Manchester United on Amorim’s Arrival (November 2024)
When Amorim took charge on November 11, 2024, United were in a mess. Let’s break it down:
- Premier League: 13th place after 11 games. Won 3 (Nottingham Forest, Brentford, Fulham), drawn 3 (Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, West Ham), lost 5 (Tottenham, Bournemouth, Arsenal, Liverpool, Brighton). At home: 2 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses. Away: 1 win, 2 draws, 3 losses.
- FA Cup: Yet to start (third round in January 2025).
- Carabao Cup: Out in the fourth round, losing 4-3 to Tottenham.
- Europa League: 6th in the league phase after 4 games. Won 1 (PAOK), drawn 2 (Twente, Fenerbahçe), lost 1 (Porto). Home: 1 win, 1 draw. Away: 2 draws, 1 loss.
Nine wins, eight draws, and nine losses across all competitions. The numbers painted a picture of a team lacking direction—leaky at the back, toothless up top, and fragile on the road.
United’s squad was a mixed bag. Depth existed—names like Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Højlund, and Casemiro offered quality—but injuries and inconsistency plagued them. Discipline was shaky; red cards (e.g., Fernandes vs. Tottenham) and sloppy defending cost points. Gameplay under ten Hag had been disjointed—neither possession-based nor counterattacking, just a muddle. Defensively, they were porous, conceding 21 goals in 11 league games. André Onana was a bright spot in goal, making acrobatic saves, but the backline—Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martínez—lacked cohesion. Set pieces were a nightmare, with five goals conceded from dead balls in the league alone by November.
Amorim didn’t mince words when he arrived. “The goal is to win the Premier League,” he declared after a loss to Arsenal in December. Ambitious? Yes. Realistic for 2024-25? Not quite. He acknowledged the season’s trophy hopes were fading but insisted on building a foundation: “I want to create a team with identity—hard-working, direct, and fearless.” He aimed to instill his 3-4-3, leveraging wing-backs like Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw, and turning United into a pressing machine. Long-term glory, not short-term fixes, was his mantra.
Where United Stand Now (March 5, 2025)
Fast forward to today—24 games into Amorim’s tenure. Here’s the state of play:
- Premier League: 10th place after 27 games. Won 10, drawn 6, lost 11. Home: 6 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses (15 goals scored, 9 conceded). Away: 4 wins, 3 draws, 9 losses (12 goals scored, 22 conceded). Total: 27 goals scored, 31 conceded.
- FA Cup: Out in the fifth round, losing 2-1 to Arsenal.
- Carabao Cup: Already eliminated.
- Europa League: 12th in the league phase after 7 games. Won 2 (PAOK, Bodo/Glimt), drawn 3 (Twente, Fenerbahçe, Viktoria Plzen), lost 2 (Porto, Athletic Bilbao). Home: 2 wins, 1 draw (8 goals scored, 3 conceded). Away: 2 draws, 2 losses (4 goals scored, 7 conceded). Total: 12 goals scored, 10 conceded.
Overall, 14 wins, 10 draws, 13 losses. Progress? Marginal. The defense has tightened slightly, but the attack remains blunt.
Injuries and Squad Dynamics
Injuries have ravaged United:
- Luke Shaw (calf, out since February).
- Lisandro Martínez (hamstring, sidelined since January).
- Tyrell Malacia (knee, long-term).
- Mason Mount (groin, out since December).
- Amad Diallo (ankle, injured in February—more on him later).
Work rate varies. Fernandes (2 goals, 6 assists) and Dalot (1 goal, 3 assists) lead with relentless energy. Højlund (5 goals, 1 assist) presses hard but lacks service. Rashford (4 goals, 2 assists before leaving) was inconsistent. Zirkzee (3 goals, 1 assist) and Garnacho (4 goals, 3 assists) show flashes but lack killer instinct. Onana’s conceded 41 goals across all competitions—12 at home, 29 away—with seven from set pieces, exposing ongoing vulnerabilities.
Goals and Assists Leaders
- Goals: Højlund (5), Rashford (4), Garnacho (4), Zirkzee (3), Fernandes (2).
- Assists: Fernandes (6), Garnacho (3), Dalot (3), Rashford (2).
Squad Changes Since Amorim
- Left on loan: Jadon Sancho (Chelsea), Antony (Fenerbahçe).
- Sold: Scott McTominay (Napoli), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham).
- Exited: Rashford (free agent, February 2025).
Rashford’s departure was messy. Dropped for poor form, he clashed with Amorim over discipline, missing 12 chances in 14 games before his exit. A goal drought—six games without scoring—sealed his fate.
Højlund, Zirkzee, and Garnacho have managed 12 goals combined, but their drought is glaring—nine games without a goal between December and February. United’s 39 chances missed since Amorim’s arrival highlight wastefulness.
Amad Diallo was a revelation—3 goals, 4 assists in 18 games—before his injury. His pace and creativity lifted United, with a 2.1 win-per-game average with him versus 0.9 without. His absence since February has left a void.
United will likely finish 8th-10th in the Premier League—too inconsistent for Europe via the league. The Europa League offers a slim chance; they need three wins from three to reach the knockout stage, but injuries and set-piece woes could derail them. A trophy looks unlikely. Amorim needs time—his Sporting success took a season to bloom. He’s the right man, given his pedigree, but United must bolster the squad (a set-piece coach and clinical striker, please!) and trust his process.
Amorim’s a tactician with a proven playbook, but United’s chaos might test even his resolve. Can they win the Europa League? Maybe, if Amad returns and the defense holds. What do you think, sports lovers? Is Amorim the savior United need, or is this rebuild too steep? Drop your thoughts below—we’re all ears!
