Football is ultimately still a game of numbers, and those numbers are turning their backs on Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim.
The winning formula is simple: winning more than losing, scoring more goals than conceding and making more right than wrong decisions. However, Amorim is failing in all aspects, largely because he has not realized that the 3-4-3 formation only makes an already unstable team more chaotic.
The message from Old Trafford at this time is that the Portuguese coach is still supported by the board. And the problem is to hold on until the new contracts arrive, helping the squad regain confidence.
However, every coach is judged by results, and Amorim is no exception. Sooner or later, like Erik ten Hag, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal or David Moyes before, his time at Old Trafford will also gradually expire if the failure continues.
The 1-3 loss to Brentford marked Man United's 17th defeat in the Premier League after 33 matches under Amorim. That streak of matches only brought home 34 points, an average of 1.03 points per match, with a winning rate of only 27.3%. Notably, Graham Potter has just been sacked by West Ham with a win rate of 26%. Amorim is now the official "captain" with the worst record for Man United in the Premier League era.
Previously, David Moyes held this sad record with a 50% win rate, lower than any other official coach of the team. Even Ralf Rangnick, despite only being an interim coach for 24 matches, still ended his turbulent term with a winning rate of 41.6%.
That comparison shows that Amorim is lost on the statistical level. No positive number can overshadow poor results: 33 Premier League games have only scored 39 goals but conceded 53 times. In all competitions, after 49 leading matches, he has lost more than won (21), while the goal and loss are balanced at 95.
In addition, the "Red Devils" have never had 2 consecutive victories in the Premier League, and have not won any away matches since defeating Leicester City 3-0 in March. In addition, Amorim's dismal record also leaves a mark on history: for the first time in 147 years, the "Red Devils" fell to a fourth-tier team, when Grimsby Town eliminated them from the Carabao Cup.
In that context, as CEO Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox closed the meeting room and looked at each other's desks, the question was, what were they clinging to to to justify continuing to put faith in Amorim?
According to British media, the biggest reason is the lack of a truly feasible alternative. Names such as Xavi, Gareth Southgate, Oliver Glasner, Fabian Hurzeler and Andoni Iraola are all mentioned, but none are ready and reliable choices.
While Amorim can cit all the reasons for the decline, the reality is that Man United spent more than £200 million in the summer, bringing in strikers Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko.
No matter how miserable the situation is, the untrue numbers - they only reflect the bare truth. And with all that unfavorable data, Amorim has little chance to make an excuse as he enters his 50th match as Man United head coach against Sunderland. Another poor result, and it is likely this weekend will end his short reign at Old Trafford.
