I don't think they care about the EFL. The financial prize is qualifying for Europe, which is probably what Ratcliffe is focused on. If he thinks Amorim won't get him there, he would've already acted imo.
Ruben Amorim | 2025-26
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In the latest edition of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood), Imran (@Annihilate Now!) & Jamie (@Vault Dweller) celebrate a fantastic victory as Manchester United won 2-0 in the Derby. They celebrate the changes Carrick has made, discuss our new coaching team and find time to play a Stupid Game. Enjoy!
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I don't think they care about the EFL. The financial prize is qualifying for Europe, which is probably what Ratcliffe is focused on. If he thinks Amorim won't get him there, he would've already acted imo.
Good post.
My memory of the Chelsea game is we also were down to 10 men for a lot of it.
Have you watched much football lately? Pep isn't even playing Pepball anymore.
Agreed. As long as it works and we win then there should be no issue.
It’s easy to forget we were in 14thish when Eth was sacked after he spent 600m on his own players. We were dropping like a stone as well. We hadn’t settled at 14th. I think he’d only played one team(pool) out of the top six in his first nine games. Amorim walked into a thoroughly demoralised team with an awful run of fixtures coming up. I think we had 5 of the top six in the next 7 games. Awful timing for the team it ruined them. It’s a distant memory now thank god but we weren’t better off and that was playing 4-3-3 or at least Eths version.
INEOS needs to shoulder much of the blame. One bad decision after another, which Ratcliffe seems to have eluded to in his interview with Neville.
You may have a point
Okay, fair enough, we shall see! I hope he turns it around.
My main frustration is pissing away a whole season, while sticking with something that’s just not working, be reactive, and still sack (classic Glazers move), and to me Amorim is not working, based on reasonable amount of games we played under him.
If he wins or at least have a decent game against Liverpool, then we could have a nice confidence boost and carry some momentum forward.
If and if and if...
If we had missed other shots on goal we would have been even worse. If Chelsea didn't get a red card that match would probably have turned out differently. That's just an honest way to discuss things as you just did.
Yeah but we 'lost' that part of the match, even if football doesn't really work that way.
I don't mind, or rather actually like, us being more direct with Sesko. It's what we all wanted, adapting when something doesn't work. If that means bypassing the midfield because it's struggling, I have no problem with that
Playing more direct might save his managerial career here. We have no midfielder (I dont think Amorim cares much about midfielder either), technical wise Our CBs and WBs arent good enough to play from the back but they are monsters physically. Personally speaking ive never been a fan of slow building from the back. Pointless passes from goalkeeper to defenders is often doing my head in and it has never been a part of Manchester United football either. Give me a fast paced football with Mbeumo, Amad, Cunha, Dorgu we have enough runners in the team with Sesko as the focal point.
Completely agree. All our best sides under Fergie played with real pace. Whether it was Giggs and Kanchelskis, Cole and Yorke or Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez, it was always the most exhilarating when it was quick.
One of my favourite ever United goals is that counter against Arsenal in the CL semis where we go back to front in about 10 seconds at devastating speed. It’s why if Amorim ends up getting the bullet, I’d like Iraola. His teams play that way.
You may have a point
One of those penalties were in a game we lost 3-1, so unless we add more fiction to the story, scoring wouldn't have made a difference. The other was the 1-1 against Fulham, and if you can't beat Fulham without scoring a penalty, you don't belong near the top of the PL. It's not as if we've played well and only suffered a bunch of bad luck. There's no "fine margins" about it. We've been consistently terrible for a whole year, and up until the Sunderland game, we were one of the worst teams in the league.
We have one good game against a team far beneath us in status and financial means, and suddenly some people are acting like it was always absurd to criticize the manager. A single good game doesn't somehow erase a year of utter rubbish. If we had generally played well under Amorim and only fluke moments of bad luck kept us from being in the upper end of the table throughout his tenure, it would have been fair to make sarcastic remarks about people wanting him sacked. But the reality is completely opposite.
True to an extent, (we lost one of those games 3-1) but also if Bruno had missed that 95th minute penalty vs Burnley and not scored the first vs Chelsea. We'd be 16th on 6 points with 1 win out of 7, 4 points off the bottom. I don't think you can read too much into league position (or potential league position) at this stage of the season.
Saturday was a step in the right direction, hopefully Lammens makes a difference, but our form and performances in general over 8 games are still worrying.
You may have a point
The small time mentality of the fan base shows just how far we have sunk and how well Amorim has lowered expectations. If Southgate had served up such appalling results after 50 matches in charge there would be mutiny. The fact that the manager cultists live in some alternative reality where we score every chance and nothing goes against us shows how desperate they are and how lost the club is. Utterly directionless with no soul.
I like that concept to keep track on how we're doing in regards to our target. Any chance we can bring back the alternate table for the current season?
Will it? I am not sure we are that good at it either. It still relies on wing backs creating the width and their crossing/ decision making is poor. It will still mean the CMs pushing forward and leaving us exposed. The modern game is increasingly a mix of ball retention and going long. But noone will be a serious title contender unless they can control the ball and tempo of the match for periods, and have the capability to unlock a low block. Look at Slot who seems to be refining a new version of ETH's high press and leaving them exposed. You cannot sustain high intensity for 90 mins every week. Also most of those long punts from the keeper against Sunderland merely surrendered possession. Getting the ball forward quickly is the essence of Amorim's system, going long to the CF has always been one of the options.
You do remember that the score was 2:1 when we had the penalty? If Bruno would have scored the penalty there was not only the chance to get 1 point, but even a good possibility for us to win the game because the momentum would have been on our side. You can argue that we might still have lost the game anyway, but Bruno scoring the penalty would definitely have made a difference!
Why are some people using our goalkeeping troubles at the start of the season, and the weak midfield, as a defence of Amorim (ie "how can he get good results with that goalkeeper and midfield")?
He had the chance to strengthen the gk position with Lammens weeks ago, and he had the chance to strengthen the midfield in the summer but decided instead to persuade Bruno to stay and play him in a midfield 2 with an aging Casemiro.
He's made the rod for his own back.
He had the chance to strengthen the gk position with Lammens weeks ago, and he had the chance to strengthen the midfield in the summer but decided instead to persuade Bruno to stay and play him in a midfield 2 with an aging Casemiro.
He's made the rod for his own back.
What makes you say he didn't want to sign a midfielder?
And regarding Lammens, this was the right game to bring him in. Especially being at home to an "easier" side.
The fact we didn't sign one, mostly.
I know it's not all down to him, but he was clearly happy to buy two 10s as our first signings, midfield can't have been a high priority for him
this idea Bruno stayed only because he was convinced by Amorim needs to please die.
yes, he said that Amorim asked him not to go, as any reasonable manager would say to your best player, but Bruno also literally said: ‘I want to play at the highest level and compete for major titles. I can do that, and I still want to.’
It was Bruno’s call. Of course it was. No player shifts his whole family to Saudi and effectively ends his career just because a manager in his first season tells him to.
Won’t stop this nonsense being repeated over and over again as a way to beat on Amorim though, I know.
Too many fans are desperate for Ruben to succeed, I am desperate for the club to succeed.
Club before manager.
Club before manager.
Did Bruno staying force Amorim to play him in midfield? This is clearly a self-made problem
The Bruno situation.
Was their interest from Saudi for Bruno? Yes
Was Bruno interested in leaving? We don't know
Did Bruno ask to leave? No
Did Amorim want Bruno to stay? Yes
Did Amorim convince Bruno to stay? Yes
If Amorim was a proactive manager and wanted to reshape his squad with two box to box midfielders then he would have replaced Bruno, what has transpired more likely is Amorim weak bargaining position where he doesn't have enough credit in the bank to sell Bruno and buy a midfielder more capable of the role Amorim wants. So instead we have Bruno through no fault of his own having to compromise and try make Amorim poor tactics work. The result is no back to back wins and a massive hole in the midfield.
Amorims formation and tactics means he places less emphasis on midfield to move the ball up the field and more emphasis on fast direct play - ergo playing 3cb and 2wb with 3 forwards and the central midfield being an afterthought as he has little desire playing through the middle or pressing high.
Was their interest from Saudi for Bruno? Yes
Was Bruno interested in leaving? We don't know
Did Bruno ask to leave? No
Did Amorim want Bruno to stay? Yes
Did Amorim convince Bruno to stay? Yes
If Amorim was a proactive manager and wanted to reshape his squad with two box to box midfielders then he would have replaced Bruno, what has transpired more likely is Amorim weak bargaining position where he doesn't have enough credit in the bank to sell Bruno and buy a midfielder more capable of the role Amorim wants. So instead we have Bruno through no fault of his own having to compromise and try make Amorim poor tactics work. The result is no back to back wins and a massive hole in the midfield.
Amorims formation and tactics means he places less emphasis on midfield to move the ball up the field and more emphasis on fast direct play - ergo playing 3cb and 2wb with 3 forwards and the central midfield being an afterthought as he has little desire playing through the middle or pressing high.
Bruno was having probably his worst season since joining while playing at #10 last season. #10 in Amorim's system is quite different than the normal #10 he was playing in 4231, as it requires more dribbling and running power (it's a hyrbid #10/winger). It was only once he moved to midfield that his form picked up significantly. He was inconsistent there and definitely had some shocking games, but people tend to forget he also had quite a lot of good games.
This season the bad is outweighing the good, but I am hopeful Bruno's form will improve and we'll end up seeing good games more often than not (although there's no doubt he'll still have the occasional shocker).
"If you don't beat Fulham without needing a penalty you don't deserve to be top of the league"?
What kind of nonsense is this?
Liverpool drew with Fulham last year and won the title. But they don't belong near the top of the league apparantly.
"One of those penalties were in a game we lost 3-1"
Nope. One of those pens was when that game was at 2-1, and had it been scored Man United were most likely to take all three points rather than Brentford.
Football doesn't work the way you described it. Goals change games. At 2-2 that game would have looked totally different for the final 15-minutes.
Your observation of how footbal works is far from the reality.
How's that down to him? We were clearly in for Baleba and that didn't go through. As for the order of our signings, again, no one can say with certainty that he was the one sanctioning it.
All the noise was that these were "club" signings made for the team.
This obsession with alternative realities is the true fantasy. Lots of things happen in games, mistakes, referee errors, missed chances. Only on here is the obsession with what might have been used to rewrite history to make up for the manager's shortcomings. One thing matters, results. Over 50 matches, luck and other stuff evens out.
Plus it doesn't take into account the complex cause and effect nature of the universe, and football
It is really becoming embarrassing to watch, to be honest. The cult of manager is really weird with the constant fantasy scenarios and not counting games we lost because they were last season or random like Grimsby.
Players are so quick to be turned on and questioned, but a manager must never be questioned - they are infallible. Meanwhile, we question managers at every single other club in the world from day one.
I knew from the bold opening that the rest wasn't worth reading.
This is not to do with any cult of manager bollocks. We as fans need to cut that bullshit out. The post is clearly insinuating we aren't as bad as the narrative were to suggest, and for what its worth Liverpool are very fortunate to be in the top 4 right now too.
Context matters, though, when you try to use the stats to spin a narrative. All Liverpool fans i know have been worried about their performances since day one. They don't sugar-coat it, and they're the reigning champions.
The thing is, we know that Liverpool have a very high ceiling. Only City have demonstrated that they can push even higher. The question is, with everything that a new season brings, if they'll be able to reach it. In that light, things like "winning while not playing well" or "getting lucky in crucial moments" are seen through the lens of a wider picture. Nobody will laugh at you, if you say that they'll challenge for the title despite their poor form at the start of the season.
Whereas United under Amorim have yet to prove that our team actually has a "respectable" ceiling. So, of course, the "fine margins" narrative won't fly easily with the press/pundits and a portion of the fanbase. To be able to do that, you first have to give your audience something to hope for. Add some consistency to whatever you're doing well on the pitch and offer proof that these things you try to implement can help your players win football matches. Because, right now and despite having better underlying stats than Liverpool, very few people can see United finishing in the top-four.
The thing is, we know that Liverpool have a very high ceiling. Only City have demonstrated that they can push even higher. The question is, with everything that a new season brings, if they'll be able to reach it. In that light, things like "winning while not playing well" or "getting lucky in crucial moments" are seen through the lens of a wider picture. Nobody will laugh at you, if you say that they'll challenge for the title despite their poor form at the start of the season.
Whereas United under Amorim have yet to prove that our team actually has a "respectable" ceiling. So, of course, the "fine margins" narrative won't fly easily with the press/pundits and a portion of the fanbase. To be able to do that, you first have to give your audience something to hope for. Add some consistency to whatever you're doing well on the pitch and offer proof that these things you try to implement can help your players win football matches. Because, right now and despite having better underlying stats than Liverpool, very few people can see United finishing in the top-four.
I agree, and both targets would go hand to hand.
Although if the reports last week are true, and Ratcliffe is happy to give Amorim a season, it could be assumed he is ok at missing out on that too. It doesn't feel to me Ratcliffe (seems to have a much longer term approach) and Berrada (setting a target which feels much closer given where we currently are) are totally aligned, it will be interesting to see how it plays out if Amorim doesn't start bringing constant improvements.
It's one of the things that doesn't add up for me this summer.
Bruno stay: Sign one 10 and one CM
Bruno go: Sign two 10s and one CM
Bruno stayed but we signed two 10s and put Bruno in CM. I don't get out strategy with this one.
After 7 games, we have played 3 big teams. The results were affected by missed penalties, GK mistakes, individual defensive mistakes and missed chances.
The hope is that once these problems are ironed out the results will come. We are only playing good football now albeit inconsistent.
But this is the one sided narrative that people called out. Yes, results were affected by what you mentioned. But they were also affected by a soft injury time penalty and playing Chelsea with a man down for a half.
We've shown that we can give the best teams a game and that we can be hopeless against poor teams. We still miss any kind of consistency, maybe the biggest area we need to improve in
It’s really frustrating to read so many excuses about the games we’ve won. We won because we played fairly well. Just like we’ve lost the games we’ve been absolute dogshit in.
Both can exist.
Both can exist.
I genuinely believe that there are MU fans that watch the team play and react like that AFTV guy, not when we lose, but when we win.
Like this:
I'm not even joking, there are probably MU fans that react like this when some MU player score or when the team has won.
Like this:
I'm not even joking, there are probably MU fans that react like this when some MU player score or when the team has won.
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