Manchester United, one of the most celebrated football clubs in the world, has been under scrutiny following a series of disappointing performances. The club's recent run of form under new boss Ruben Amorim has drawn criticism from various quarters, including former player and pundit Gary Neville.
Ruben Amorim took over as Manchester United manager after Erik ten Hag parted ways with the club in October last year. Despite his impressive track record at Sporting CP where he won the Liga Portugal title twice, his tenure at Old Trafford has not lived up to expectations so far.
Since taking charge, Manchester United have played seven home games and managed to secure victory only twice. This lackluster performance is a stark contrast to their previous form under Ten Hag and has led many fans and pundits alike to question whether hiring Amorim was indeed the right move.
Downward spiral?
The team's struggles are not limited to their home ground; they have also lost three out of their last five league outings. Currently languishing in 13th position on the Premier League table, it seems that Manchester United are facing an uphill battle in regaining their former glory.
Gary Neville, a legend for both England and Manchester United who now serves as a football pundit, did not mince words when assessing this situation. According to him, "the situation was better under Ten Hag."
What Gary Neville said
In his podcast aptly named 'The Gary Neville Podcast', he made some scathing remarks about Amorim’s performance as coach:
Manchester United legend, Gary Neville, said:
"I thought it would get better when Ruben Amorim came in. I thought the enthusiasm and the new system, I thought they'd buy into it the players, and we'd see a bounce. We've seen the absolute opposite. It's got a lot worse and that's surprising.
"But there's going to be a lot more pain towards the end of the season and it is going to be damaging. They're obviously going to stick with Ruben Amorim, but the more you lose, the more difficult it is to convince the players of the idea. The idea that he talked about in the early days. You need the players to buy into it, but if they lose with it, and they keep getting criticised, the spotlight comes on them more and the fans are leaving unhappy."
"You can't keep losing. It will depress the thoughts of the players, to the point whereby they'll lose faith with the idea. It'll damage the start of next season. He has to do something. He can't change his approach because he's died in a ditch on it. And rightly so. I think he's lost more games at Manchester United since he's come than he lost in the last 75 at Sporting."
This critique from such an influential figure within English football underscores just how serious this issue is perceived by those close to the game. Despite these challenges though, all hope is not lost for Man Utd. The team will be back in action on Friday night when they take on Leicester City in an FA Cup fourth-round clash. This match could provide the perfect opportunity for Amorim and his squad to silence their critics and prove that they are capable of turning things around.
