Under-fire Man United boss Ruben Amorim should leave the club as soon as possible and put an end to his ‘disastrous’ tenure, according to Jamie Carragher.
The Liverpool legend, speaking on Monday Night Football about United’s dire start to the season and performances under their Portuguese boss, gave a scathing assessment of the situation.
He believes Amorim, who led United to an abysmal 15th place last season and has steered them to 14th this term, needs to go.
The 3-1 defeat by Brentford on Saturday was the latest low cranking the pressure up yet again.
Carragher said: ‘I think he’s still in a job because the powers that be at Man United have made that many mistakes on and off the pitch that they almost don’t want to admit right now that they’ve made another.
‘This has been a disaster for Man United and Ruben Amorim. What he did at Sporting Lisbon was fantastic and he looked like the next big thing as a manager. But bringing a manager with a system like his never suited the traditions of Man United and the quicker the club make a decision on the manager, I think it’s better for everybody because it has been a disaster for the club but also the manager.
Ruben Amorim’s (left) tenure at Manchester United has been a disaster, according to Jamie Carragher (right)
United lost 3-1 against Brentford on Saturday in the latest low point for the club
‘We’re only waiting for the inevitable, unfortunately, you don’t want to see people lose their jobs but this has to end as quickly as possible.’
Everton legend Duncan Ferguson was on punditry duty for Sky’s coverage of the Toffees’ clash with West Ham.
And he also had his say on Amorim, adding: ‘That group of players is better than it is looking, he’s not tried to change the system or find a way.
‘When you’re losing games you have to try and find a way to win, you can’t keep going about it the same way. When they recruited him they knew what they were doing, he played this formation. His record suggests the results won’t change and he looks likely to lose his job.’
Carragher then added that United’s sporting hierarchy need to take a huge chunk of blame given that they knew Amorim would deliver the same system he did at Sporting Lisbon.
‘A lot of managers say, “my system might change but my style doesn’t”,’ he added. ‘His baby is his system, it’s like asking Jurgen Klopp not to press or Pep Guardiola not to play short passes through the middle of the pitch. That’s on Omar Berrada or Jason Wilcox or Sir Jim Ratcliffe, they brought him in.
‘In his 49 games, 42 times he changed his starting back three, he did that at Sporting Lisbon, the powers that be knew that when he came in.
He damned Amorim further, continuing: ‘I think every other Premier League manager would look at Man United and think, “I could do a better job than that”.
Carragher says Sir Jim Ratcliffe, (left), Omar Berrada (centre) and Jason Wilcox (right) knew what they were going to get when they hired Amorim
‘The only positive for United is that they haven’t gone all in on his system. They’ve given him lots of money to spent but they haven’t bought lots of centre-backs or wing backs.
‘They players they bought can easily be flipped into a back four, getting Bruno Fernandes as No 10, Bryan Mbeumo on the right, maybe Matheus Cunha to the left and Benjamin Sesko up front and I think a competent football manager could get that team in that system to the European places or fighting for them.
‘There has been a lot of change with United but the managers are still given time. Amorim has not quite been there 12 months but it couldn’t have gone any worse.
‘I feel sorry for him, it was a great start at Sporting Lisbon but those results at United for a club of that stature are beyond belief.
‘You don’t want to see anyone lose their job but it is better for everybody if they shake hands and move on.’
United chiefs’ trust in their man has been pushed to the limit and it remains to be seen whether they keep the faith with Amorim.
Carragher has joined Gary Neville in suggesting Amorim’s time may now be up.
‘I felt for the first time, just through instinct, watching it on the television, seeing players’ faces and body language, that there might be an element of players really doubting the system and what’s going on,’ Neville said, speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast.
Amorim could hardly watch at points as his United side lost yet another game
‘There was something that happened in that game that I mentioned on my podcast two or three weeks ago that I said we couldn’t see again. I said that Mason Mount ended up at left wing-back.
‘There’s sticking to your plan and then there’s your coach that’s got an idea and making sure that he delivers that idea and not flip flopping with his idea with players, which can sometimes undermine what you’re trying to achieve.
‘But then when you’re putting Mason Mount at left wing-back – and he’s ended up at left wing-back again at Brentford in the last five minutes to the game – it starts to look awful.’
‘You can’t put Mason Mount at left wing-back. I’m sorry, it just can’t happen. I can’t watch Mason Mount play left wing-back in a football team.
‘I struggled at times to watch him in his natural position, but actually putting him out there on the left wing, is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.’
Man United face newly promoted Sunderland in the final match before the international break, before a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool.
