It has been 9 months since manager Ruben Amorim sat in the press conference room at Old Trafford and warned Manchester United fans that "a storm is coming".
That prediction has, in turn, become one of the few things that is accurate for the season that the Portuguese coach calls a disaster.
Apart from the Carabao Cup shock against Grimsby Town, Amorim has been much more optimistic about his side in the first weeks of the 2025-2026 season. However, the Man United ship is still drifting in the rough seas. If the storm really swept through the pitch last season, then this season, the black clouds are rolling in the sky of Old Trafford.
The three most recent coaches of the "Red Devils" - Erik ten Hag, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho - were all fired in November or December. If Amorim can take the team through the next 3 to 4 months with positive performances to reduce pressure, he will create a foundation for the goal of competing for a place in the European Cup in the new year.
Conversely, if his form declines, attention will increase, and the Man United board may have to rush to find a fifth official coach in just 9 years.
An encouraging performance against Arsenal, a good half mixed with a bad half against Fulham, a disaster against Grimsby and a dramatic home win over Burnley reflected a chaotic start to the season for Man United.
In particular, the Carabao Cup defeat at Blundell Park and Amorim's emotional speech after the match raised concerns. A series of outstanding issues from last season have not been resolved throughout the summer.
However, looking beyond the results, Amorim has reason to be optimistic. After 3 rounds of the Premier League, they are in 9th place with 4 points. More importantly, they lead the league in expected goals (6.78), total shots (42) and touches in the opposition box (99).
The Old Trafford team also ranked second in the number of duels won (173) and third in the number of successful crosses from openings (12). Of course, all numbers are relative when only evaluating through 3 matches. However, these statistics show that the "Red Devils" are doing a lot of the right things.
Amorim pointed out that his side actually played well in the defeats to Arsenal and the draw with Fulham. And the statistics show that he is completely reasonable.
Not the type of coach who is easily controlled by emotions, the former Sporting captain will have more opportunities to prove the true strength of Man United in two big challenges right after the international break. That was a trip to Manchester City at the Etihad, then welcomed Chelsea at Old Trafford.
The 40-year-old strategist is in a difficult position. He has had to lead an unfinished team and endure the pressure of poor performance with 18 wins, 9 draws and 19 losses in 46 matches.
Right in the summer transfer window, Amorim frankly admitted that Man United could not solve all problems in just one season. Therefore, the increase of all locations, especially the midfield, is forced to be temporarily put on hold.
Mourinho, Solskjaer and Ten Hag all left Old Trafford before having enough personnel to complete their projects. For Amorim, the risk lies in the fact that the future may never be there in time. And he will be sent off at Old Trafford before Baleba or any other target arrives.
Young signings such as Sesko (22 years old) and Lammens (23 years old) reflect the club's long-term orientation. However, Amorim himself admitted after Fernandes' late penalty against Burnley that he was "living day by day".
Amid the anger after the shock against Grimsby, Man United's board still affirmed that they have never put Amorim's future on the scale and will continue to give him absolute support.
What Amorim hopes for is that in the coming months, he will not make the board impatient. It is easy to understand that the second storm in his short reign will never hit.
