Ruben Amorim | 2025-26

Well put.

Before the match even started, Amorim should have consider some plan B of what happened if we need to chase for the goal because we were behind. If his plan B was to bring on Mazraoui and Dorgu then that’s poor planning / poor game management.

If I were him, I would have change the structure of the formation to bring on more attackers because we needed goals. Just like Sir Alex used to do.

If he doesn’t want to change the formation then at least bring on more attackers not just full backs to change the game like sub off Shaw, move Dorgu as LCB, move Amad as LWB, move Mbeumo as RWB, to brings on more attacker like Mount or Zirkzee.

There are ways to bring on either or both Mount or/and Zirkzee to the game.
We’ve got no one to bring on especially against a side giving as good as they got. Don’t forget Brighton. Could’ve been 4-1 with the changes most wanted. Besides his substitutes are not designed for like for like in the hope the next best will get lucky. They’re designed to slightly change our formation based on player characteristics. Forrest were 6th last season and are a very good team just had a pisspoor manager for a few games. Besides we hit the post and had one cleared off the line. If that was Liverpool they would have been robbed by bad luck.
That was a good result with us off our game which will happen as we improve.
 
It's going to be up and down all season but 6th place and abov is still the aim.

We're on target.
 
I agree. Gotta day he is going to either shut up a lot of people (including myself) if he is successful constantly sticking to this shape, or look a fool. Even the likes of Pep adapts depending on the game state and he is on the more unflexible side. You'd imagine going two up top with Zirkzee and Sesko to go for a win would be an option, or taking a CB off for an attacker would be an option, but never seems the case.

Either way, a decent point. Although we really struggled to win the second balls and I don't think it was a physicality thing. Forest just seemed to be in better positions to pick up the ball. I'd like to see Amorim adjusting the positions or tactics when we seem to be losing battles in key areas. The better coaches know how and when to make small tweaks to their system in game.

I've accepted that will never be an option under Amorim, I've made my peace with it. I just hope he can learn to become more flexible, because as you say I thought Forest were the better side yesterday. Got their tactics right, especially defensively and Ruben couldn't adapt to that.
 
I don't think I'll ever truly be happy he's here. Just knowing that the team will always play 3atb no matter the state of the game or the injuries we have will just always rub me the wrong way.

He's never watched a game and thought to bring on an extra midfielder.

Once games get away from him his only route back in seems to be a set piece, chaos or a moment of brilliance.

We're a lot better now but I never see him being good enough for us.
Missing the point mate. I have no idea whether he'll win a league or Champions League - it's the notion that even if he did it wouldn't make you happy cos of 3 centre halves that is the weird thing.
You’re the only one that interpreted my post as if we win PL and CL I’d be upset because we are playing 3 at the back. The only weird thing was you bringing up make believe trophies when there’s no evidence it’s in sight.
 
Bit of a stretch that mate. Do you not think it's more likely that he felt the players on the pitch were more likely to score?

I think that's probably just as much of a stretch mate.

It wasn't working, if something is not working and you're losing a game then you try something different, that's what 99% of managers do when they're losing. You can't just carry on as you have been and hope for the best. We scored from two corners yesterday that won't happen every game where we struggle to score from open play.

I must have seen over a thousand United games where Alex Ferguson was the manager. I must say in all the games where we were losing I can't remember Fergie not bringing at least 1 but usually multiple attackers on to try and make change things up and force the opposition on the back foot. And he had much better attackers than we currently do yet he still made changes. Losing a game but seeing the only changes the manager make is to bring two defenders on is Alien to me to be honest.
 
I’d be astounded if we win anything of note with this guy. He’s far to stubborn and rigid with his setup.
 
You’re the only one that interpreted my post as if we win PL and CL I’d be upset because we are playing 3 at the back. The only weird thing was you bringing up make believe trophies when there’s no evidence it’s in sight.
Seriously, what are you missing here? You said "I don't think I'll ever truly be happy he's here. Just knowing that the team will always play 3atb no matter the state of the game or the injuries we have will just always rub me the wrong way." I'm giving you a scenario where United win a major trophy, and according to your own words you 'wouldn't be truly happy'.

The question as to whether it's 'in sight' or not is irrelevant. Nobody in the world would have predicted Leicester winning the league but they did. Did you miss the fact that we have 4 wins and a draw in our last 6 games? You're going on like we are still in the relegation zone?
 
Spot on. I find the obsessive need to love the manager or be all in on him wierd. I called out someone on Friday who had apparently flipped from being all in, then out, then after 3 wins all in and apparently not for changing. I see nothing this season to change my view on Amorim. He is a character, for better or worse, and most of players seem still to be behind him. But his obsession with 3 at the back and terrible game management means he will have a low ceiling.

The answer to all our problems always seems to be spend another £200m and we might be able to challenge. One of my major issues with Amorim is who has he made better? I don't see anyone really, sure Amad overall has been good but we knew he was a good player that ETH refused to play. We signed two of the leagues best attackers and still struggle to create chances. Sesko was awful yesterday and really beginning to concern me, he is just too often invisible. Amorim's game management is awful. The weekly CB sub is just embarrassing. Forget the whining about a new manager bounce, we are playing one of the worst teams in the league and need to be able to beat teams like this. It was a goal from nowhere that gave us a point, at no time in the second half did we look in control or create good chances. Someone posted earlier that based on highlights we should have won. Well, the amazing xG stats from yesterday as 2 for Forecast and 1.15 for us, so on that basis a draw was lucky.

Of course when you are chasing a game you need to mix it up. Throw on Zirkzee, who offers something different and more movement, when its clear Sesko isnt working. Throw on Mount, go to 2 CBs and make the spare man a forward rathe than a CB. Then there is the system itself. We have 3 CBs but still seem to concede loads of goals around the 6 yard box. The second goal we had 7 players around the box and 3 Forest players, then 3 United players all went for the cross and the Forest player got to the second ball. For the first goal my immediate thought is why is the smallest player on the pitch defending a cross on the edge of the 6 yard box. We have 3 CBs, and one of them should be taking Gibbs-White. The point was made on MoTD as well. Amad is great going forward but is weak defensively and yet as a wing back he needs to spend a lot of time defending. It was clear from the MoTD analysis how Forest targeted him and that flank, but neither the CBs or the manager reacted.
Promoted sides spend on average 150m on transfers.

The money argument may have been true 5 years ago, but nowadays any team spends between 100 and 200m per summer
 
I think that's probably just as much of a stretch mate.

It wasn't working, if something is not working and you're losing a game then you try something different, that's what 99% of managers do when they're losing. You can't just carry on as you have been and hope for the best. We scored from two corners yesterday that won't happen every game where we struggle to score from open play.

I must have seen over a thousand United games where Alex Ferguson was the manager. I must say in all the games where we were losing I can't remember Fergie not bringing at least 1 but usually multiple attackers on to try and make change things up and force the opposition on the back foot. And he had much better attackers than we currently do yet he still made changes. Losing a game but seeing the only changes the manager make is to bring two defenders on is Alien to me to be honest.
Does the bit in bold not say it all? It's a lot easier to make changes when you have genuine quality on the bench. It's not crazy to think that we'd be more likely to score with Sesko and Cunha on the pitch than Zirkzee and Mount (for instance). He made changes against Brighton when we were 3-0 up and we lost control of the game, so he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

To say that him not making a change shows he was content to lose the game is mental :lol:
 
Yep. And Liverpool before that aswell.

Every single United fan in the world would have taken seven points from these last three games.

To go mad with the criticism after a hard-fought point at a ground where we've struggled a lot feels very weird.
It's just people who have already decided the manager needs to be sacked, using the small set back of a draw as fuel for their existing view.

Some very thick posts about his subs being made too given it was only after the subs we looked more solid, equalised, then had chances to win it.

It seems that the view is only attacking subs are seen as trying to win the game. Very very thick posts IMO.
 
Seriously, what are you missing here? You said "I don't think I'll ever truly be happy he's here. Just knowing that the team will always play 3atb no matter the state of the game or the injuries we have will just always rub me the wrong way." I'm giving you a scenario where United win a major trophy, and according to your own words you 'wouldn't be truly happy'.

The question as to whether it's 'in sight' or not is irrelevant. Nobody in the world would have predicted Leicester winning the league but they did. Did you miss the fact that we have 4 wins and a draw in our last 6 games? You're going on like we are still in the relegation zone?
I qualified my initial post saying I don’t think he’ll ever be good enough for us so it’s implied that I don’t think we’ll be winning the PL or CL under him.

You made a silly post just accept it.
 
My biggest gripe with him is when the going gets tough, he has completely no idea what to do. Yesterday, I felt that he was bailed out by individual talent rather than his system. If Dyche had brought on attackers, they would have won the game as they were battering us at 2-1. Our away record with him is atrocious. Bar the rare Anfield win which was our cup final, we've didn't win any away games this season.
 
In-game management is the weakest part of his game. I can't recall a single game (in the PL at least) where we were being outplayed and a positional, personnel or formation shape by Ruben turned the game in our favour. Maybe I'm forgetting but if someone can think of any examples please post them here.

Yes, he's set the team up well in some games and we've played well, but once an opposite manager figures it out and makes a change, that's it, there's no plan B. Once it turns shit, it stays shit.

The 2nd half yesterday was giving me Europa League final vibes. We created practically nothing after going behind, but he seemed happy to watch the same thing over and over for 30 minutes, only this time a piece of magic from Amad rescued us.

I like Amorim. I want him to succeed. But surely the most staunch of Amorim supporters can see this is a major weakness in his management?
 
Does the bit in bold not say it all? It's a lot easier to make changes when you have genuine quality on the bench. It's not crazy to think that we'd be more likely to score with Sesko and Cunha on the pitch than Zirkzee and Mount (for instance).

No not really, you suggested Amorim might think the attackers on the pitch had a better chance of scoring. Fergie had world class attackers yet still changed or supplemented them when we were losing. More often than not the players on the bench even under Fergie wouldn't have been as good as the regular starters, but he still tried something in bringing them on. Yesterday Mount for Sesko seemed an obvious change, Mazraoui for Dalot with Shaw pushing up another, Shaw unlike Dalot or Dorgu can actually cross a ball.

Losing a game and struggling to create decent chances from open play but choosing not to mix it up in attack is poor from a manager however it's spun. Sorry that's my opinion and no one will change it.

He made changes against Brighton when we were 3-0 up and we lost control of the game, so he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

That's the perfect time to make changes, I never criticised him for those changes.

To say that him not making a change shows he was content to lose the game is mental :lol:

Mate I said he seemed content, seemed. He obviously wouldn't have been happy to lose but he made little effort to affect our attacking play.
 
My biggest gripe with him is when the going gets tough, he has completely no idea what to do. Yesterday, I felt that he was bailed out by individual talent rather than his system. If Dyche had brought on attackers, they would have won the game as they were battering us at 2-1. Our away record with him is atrocious. Bar the rare Anfield win which was our cup final, we've didn't win any away games this season.
But he made two subs, we equalised and then nearly won the game. He clearly knew what to do and did it. Unless you think he should be blamed for them blocking a winning goal on the line.

Am I living in the twilight zone here?
 
Losing a game and struggling to create decent chances from open play but choosing not to mix it up in attack is poor from a manager however it's spun. Sorry that's my opinion and no one will change it.

And that's a completely reasonable position to take - had you just written that I wouldn't have responded.

That's the perfect time to make changes, I never criticised him for those changes.

Lots of people did though. And the fact that the players that came on actually had a negative impact on that game is bound to have influenced his thinking.
Mate I said he seemed content, seemed. He obviously wouldn't have been happy to lose but he made little effort to affect our attacking play.

I know that's what you said. What I'm saying is that surely the most logical reason for him not making the changes you wanted to see is that he felt the attacking players that were on the pitch gave him the best chance to win the game? Whether it was or wasn't a mistake is up for debate (although we did get back to 2-2 and had a shot cleared off the line), but that is a very different thing to not making a change because you're not arsed about losing the game.
 
His in game management is still poor, he's risk averse to the point where he seemed content with losing yesterday as he didn't make any attacking changes. There wasn't even that much of a change in set-up to go more attacking really.

Waited until the 70th minute to bring a Wing back on and then the 80th minute to change a centreback. That's poor however you spin it and let's be honest for anyone in the post match thread who said it was cowardly it's hard to argue against that.

He seems so enamoured with his system/set-up for each match I'm starting to wonder if he feels having to change it mid-game when it isn't working, is for him like losing face.

And changing a centreback every game regardless of the scoreline and whether or not we're chasing the game is getting old.
I think he really just doesn't rate our other options, I don't blame him tbf. I would've backed the players on the pitch more than our subs
 
Not particularly. Did you think that was the height of wit?

Like most sarcasm, it got the point across. 10 points in 4 games is actually pretty decent form. It’s also a fact that you and others are way more active in here when we drop any point, compared to when we win and you all stay in your little holes. Quality United fans.

(That was sarcasm too).
 
Like most sarcasm, it got the point across. 10 points in 4 games is actually pretty decent form. It’s also a fact that you and others are way more active in here when we drop any point, compared to when we win and you all stay in your little holes. Quality United fans.

(That was sarcasm too).
I posted last week in this thread to say for 70 minutes it was the best we played under him. What do you expect me to do? I don’t rate him and it will take a lot more than 3 wins to convince he’s the right manager.

We had people like you insistent the last manager should stay after the cup final (you were probably one of them) and that did nothing but set us back. Quality United fans they were. (See, I can do sarcasm too. I’m so witty.)

The problem you and some others have is that you think backing the manager makes you a better fan or more interested in what is right for the club. You’re wrong.
 
And that's a completely reasonable position to take - had you just written that I wouldn't have responded.

Fair enough mate but it's not a million miles away from my first post.

Lots of people did though. And the fact that the players that came on actually had a negative impact on that game is bound to have influenced his thinking.

Perhaps it did but we were losing, losing 2-1 or 4-1 isn't much different in the grand scheme of things. I feel if he's going to not only survive at United but also be successful he has to be braver in these situations.
 
He most likely felt that the game was too physical for an unfit Mount to join in and didn't want to take the chance. Otherwise, Mount would be in for Cunha.
 
I think he really just doesn't rate our other options, I don't blame him tbf. I would've backed the players on the pitch more than our subs

Putting on extra attackers is always an option though.
 
We drew the game though? So we did get that goal back, and very nearly bagged a winner too.

We did and I'm happy we did but it could have just as easily gone the other way just as we might have won with an extra attacker on the pitch. There's been other games where he did make attacking changes and they worked and yet others where they didn't. Us scoring a 2nd from a corner doesn't really prove anything.

As I've said I can accept the team performing poorly and losing. But losing and the manager not at least trying to mix the attack up is something I'll just never be able to accept. I grew up on Fergie just throwing on attacker after attacker in an effort to turn games around.
 
I think he really just doesn't rate our other options, I don't blame him tbf. I would've backed the players on the pitch more than our subs
After last week, would you blame him? We just don't have good options and midfield and attack. If you remove Sesko, you are bringing in Zirkzee or Mount. Not exactly inspiring options.
 
Putting on extra attackers is always an option though.

But we nearly won the game with the players that were already on the pitch. Bringing on extra attackers or making too many changes has backfired for us just last week when Brighton came back. If Forest won 3-2 people would be on here complaining he made too many changes and messed up the formation.
 
Putting on extra attackers is always an option though.

Mount isn't fully fit, and his other option is Zirkzee.

SAF, unlike Amorin, always had a deep squad of options and SAF liked to carry 4 legit strikers in his squad-- so he always had the opportunity to bring on fresh legs in the rare times that United were trailing.

I don't blame RA for looking at his bench and going-- well, either bring on Zirkzee or leave Sesko on and deciding to leave Sesko on. Zirkzee has 3 goals in 36 EPL appearances. Not exactly the same as SAF bring Ole or Sheringham off the bench for Yorke or Cole.

People need to get to grips that a.) the team needs help in the starting XI and b.) the team really has no depth except in a couple of positions.

RA's hands are tied to a degree. SAF, barring a couple of years, always had a standout CB pairing, so he could always gamble by adding a defender-- or my personal favorite, when he would put Giggs on as a "left back" in essence going 3 at the back. United can't keep clean sheets with 5 at the back. RA has to be a bit more pragmatic than SAF because he doesn't have the same horses-- not in attack, defense, goalie or midfield. It's a lot easier to take off a defender for a striker if you know your back 3 is Evra, Rio, Vidic-- because they are elite players.

17 points, 1 point behind second. Even after being screwed in the Arsenal game-- missing penalties in 2 other games and having a ball cleared off the line at the end of yesterday's game. Doing so with 1 striker who is young and is getting his first taste of the EPL. I'm not bored to death watching this team like I was under ETH and at least we are back to creating chances.

Lots of positives and most of the negatives are related to the squad which can't be solved in 1 summer transfer window-- it will take multiple windows to get a squad that has the depth that SAF had when he was managing.
 
After last week, would you blame him? We just don't have good options and midfield and attack. If you remove Sesko, you are bringing in Zirkzee or Mount. Not exactly inspiring options.
Mount has been pretty good this season. Certainly better than Sesko or whatever that performance from Cunha yesterday was. Can only assume he isn't fully fit
 
Mainoo and Zirkzee didn’t cover themselves in glory coming on against Brighton. Not hating on those 2, but you can understand the logic behind Amorim sticking with the attacking options already on the pitch.
 
A lot of moaning basically because we didn't bring Zirkzee on. He's hardly Solskjaer as a sub is he. Our options for goal threats are still pretty dire.

West Ham showing today how difficult away games are in the PL (only 29% have been won by the away side so far this season).
 
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My biggest gripe with him is when the going gets tough, he has completely no idea what to do. Yesterday, I felt that he was bailed out by individual talent rather than his system. If Dyche had brought on attackers, they would have won the game as they were battering us at 2-1. Our away record with him is atrocious. Bar the rare Anfield win which was our cup final, we've didn't win any away games this season.
We drew the match, could have won with Bruno and Amad.
There were no better attacking options to bring on. He removed Dalot and brought on Dorgu. The real issue is still the CM, it gets ran through easily and when we are defending we don’t have a cm that can track back and cover.
 
We had people like you insistent the last manager should stay after the cup final (you were probably one of them) and that did nothing but set us back.

Nope I wanted ETH gone too. I don’t just back the manager with blinkers on. I can also appreciate ETH had multiple summers to get the team set up properly and he was actively making us worse over a significant period of time. Amorim has had one summer and we’ve objectively improved on the shit squad he inherited and we’re playing better now too, although plenty more improvement needed of course.

My issue has always been a lack of patience from fans and an overly negative attitude.
 
After last week, would you blame him? We just don't have good options and midfield and attack. If you remove Sesko, you are bringing in Zirkzee or Mount. Not exactly inspiring options.
Wtf? Have you watched him this season at all?
 
Wtf? Have you watched him this season at all?
I've got a lot of time for Mount, but he's not necessarily someone you bring on when you need a goal - 3 goals in 38 appearances shows that. I'd bring him on to defend from the front and protect a lead, or start him (as Amorim did) in games like Liverpool away. Great squad option but he's not exactly a Solksjaer or Chicarito now is he?