Manchester United finds itself in an unexpected predicament, languishing in 11th place in the Premier League standings. Only five points separate the Red Devils from a precarious 16th-placed Everton. Ruben Amorim, who took over the managerial reins in November, faces mounting pressure as the team grapples with a potential relegation battle and diminishing hopes of qualifying for European competitions this season.
Under Amorim's stewardship, Manchester United's performance has noticeably declined. The Portuguese manager's overall win ratio is 20% lower than that of his predecessor, Erik Ten Hag. Specifically, Amorim's Premier League win ratio stands at 30.8%, in stark contrast to Ten Hag's more robust 51.8%. This downturn in results is mirrored in their position within a mini-league of six teams, including Brentford, Everton, and Tottenham, where Manchester United has accumulated the fewest points among them.
Since the November international break, Manchester United's attacking prowess has waned considerably. The team has scored fewer Premier League goals than the league's current bottom three and Everton. Defensively, the situation is equally concerning, with only seven teams conceding more goals than United during this period. These statistics underscore the challenges facing Amorim as he seeks to steer his team away from the relegation zone.
The last time Manchester United finished in the bottom half of the league was in the 1989-90 season—a fate they are determined to avoid this year. However, Amorim's decision to heavily rotate the squad during Manchester United's League Cup exit in north London earlier this season raised eyebrows and added to the growing scrutiny surrounding his tactics.
Despite some success in European competition, where three of United's nine regulation-time wins under Amorim have come in the Europa League, their domestic performance remains lackluster. Of these nine wins, six have been secured by a narrow one-goal margin. In their remaining 14 league games, Manchester United has managed only four victories while suffering six defeats.
Amorim also faces the daunting task of ending Manchester United’s current winless run at home in the Premier League as they prepare for a crucial clash against Tottenham. This ongoing struggle at Old Trafford adds to the complexity of their current predicament, with two cup competitions still on the horizon and the need to stave off a bottom-half finish looming large.
Leave a Reply