Sir Jim Ratcliffe cited Mikel Arteta's poor start as head coach of Arsenal as a reason to be patient with Ruben Amorim, who is facing criticism at Manchester United. However, how are their first 50 games as head coaches really?
"Ruben Amorim needs to prove himself as a great coach in the next 3 years. Football is not a matter of one go soon. It's 3 years. Look at Arteta. He also had a difficult time in the first few years," said the British billionaire.
Arteta has further demonstrated the club's confidence by turning Arsenal into Premier League title contenders. But will Amorim help Man United get on track for long-term success? And what does his 50-match record show?
Comparing the results between Amorim and Arteta
While Arsenal have had an unimpressive period in their first 50 games under Arteta from December 2019 to April 2021, their record is still significantly better than Man United under Amorim.
Statistics for the first 50 matches show a clear difference between Arteta and Amorim. Arteta has won 27 of Amorim's 19 games, matching a 54% win rate to 38%. Arteta, meanwhile, have lost 13 games, Amorim have lost 19, and the number of draws is 12 to 10.
In terms of scoring efficiency, the two coaches are equivalent: Arsenal scored 79 goals, Man United under Amorim scored 78 goals. However, the big difference lies in the defense.
Amorim's side have conceded 76 goals, nearly 60% more than Arsenal, and have kept just eight clean sheets in just eight games, compared to Arteta's 18. The Red Devils have even conceded three or more goals nine times, while Arsenal have only conceded three in the same period.
These figures highlight the major challenge Amorim faces in strengthening the defence and improving the stability of Man United. That is in contrast to Arteta's good form in creating an Arsenal side that are difficult to beat.
Premier League rankings and titles
Arteta took over Arsenal in December 2019 when the team was 10th in the Premier League, while Man United was 14th when Amorim took charge.
This difference in starting position further highlights the challenges Amorim faces in rebuilding and upgrading the squad, compared to Arteta starting with a relatively stable foundation.
The Spaniard has seen a slight improvement from his starting position. Arsenal ended their first campaign under Arteta in eighth place, despite a significant hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this is still the club's lowest ranking since the 1992-1993 season, when The Gunners were 10th.
Man United even finished lower in Amorim's first campaign. They are 15th, the club's record low, with a total score of 42 points compared to Arsenal's 56 points in the first season under Arteta.
Both coaches have led their teams to the cup final in their first season in charge. However, while Arteta helped Arsenal win the FA Cup, Amorim had to endure a disappointing Europa League defeat to Tottenham.
In Arteta's 50th match - a 0-3 defeat to Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in April 2021 - Arsenal were only one place above Man United when Amorim entered his 50th match with the team.
