Manchester United enter 2025 in a gloomy mood after four consecutive defeats. Coach Ruben Amorim may be starting to understand what Erik ten Hag went through.
Amorim has won just four of his first 11 games in charge of Man United and has failed to score in three of his last four. It is clear that the surprise victory in the Manchester derby was a deception for the "Red Devils" fans.
The 39-year-old has admitted that, ideally, he would like to take the job in the summer, when there is a transfer window and a pre-season to shape his squad.
That didn’t happen, with United making it clear it was now or never, and now Amorim is struggling to turn things around with games coming thick and fast, with the last few weeks proving that some of the players he inherited from Ten Hag simply aren’t up to the standard required.
Amorim wants to sell some players in the January transfer window, starting with Marcus Rashford, but he is also keen to add new players. That could be difficult with Sir Jim Ratcliffe in the process of cutting costs and meeting financial regulations. Of course, it's not like there's no way around it for the Old Trafford club at the moment.
"I think Man United players are lacking everything, from the smallest things that we try to do in every training session. After every goal, Man United is in chaos, because the team does not have a clear foundation.
And we also didn't have time to build the foundation for the team, to be ready for the difficulties of the season. Therefore, everything is very complicated at the moment" - Amorim said after the 0-2 loss to Newcastle.
One of the most obvious problems for Amorim so far has been on the left side of defence, where neither Luke Shaw nor Tyrell Malacia have been able to maintain form in a 3-4-3 formation. That has left right-footed Diogo Dalot forced to play on the wrong side of his natural position, creating an imbalance in the squad.
Signing a left-footed player who can contribute both offensively and defensively is a top priority for Amorim. Alphonso Davies is out of contract at Bayern Munich in June and has attracted plenty of interest, with Manchester United and Real Madrid among them.
Davies' agent Nick Huoseh is doing everything he can to try and drum up interest in the 24-year-old. For United, the Canada international would be an ideal fit for Amorim's system, but it is expected that they will struggle to land a player of his calibre.
Real Madrid have not given up on Davies, although Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold is their number one target. Overall, Man United will not have the initiative in this deal.
