Manchester United entered 2025 in a gloomy year after 4 consecutive losses. Coach Ruben Amorim may be gradually understanding 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 games. Clearly, the surprise win in the Manchester derby was just a deception for the "Red Devils" fans.
The 39-year-old strategist admitted that, in an ideal situation, he would like to take the job of leading Man United in the summer, when there is a transfer period and a pre-season period to shape personnel.
That did not happen, as Man United clearly stated that it was now or never. And now, Amorim is trying to turn things around with intense and fast-paced games. The past few weeks have shown that some of the players he inherited from Ten Hag are simply not up to the standards needed.
Amorim has wanted to sell some players in the January transfer window, starting with Marcus Rashford, but he is also hungry to add new signings. That could be difficult with Sir Jim Ratcliffe in the process of cutting costs and meeting financial regulations. Of course, it is not without a solution for the Old Trafford team at the moment.
"I think Man United players are lacking everything, from the smallest things we try to do in every training session. After every goal conceded, Man United is in disarray, because the team does not have a clear foundation.
And we don't have time to build a foundation for the team, to be ready for the difficulties of the season. So everything is very complicated at the moment," Amorim said after the 0-2 loss to Newcastle.
One of Amorim's most obvious problems so far has been on the left flank of the defence, where both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia have failed to maintain their form in the 3-4-3 formation. That forced right-footed Diogo Dalot to play against his forte, creating an imbalance in the squad.
Signing a left-footed player who can contribute both in attack and defence is Amorim's top priority. Alphonso Davies' Bayern Munich contract expires in June and has attracted a lot of attention, with Man United and Real Madrid among them.
Davies' agent Nick Huoseh is trying every way to attract the 24-year-old player. For Man United, the Canadian international will be an ideal choice for Amorim's system. However, the difficulty was predicted for them to own such a player.
Real Madrid have not given up on Davies even though Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold is their number 1 target. Overall, Man United will not be proactive in this deal.
