Following an underwhelming first season for Ruben Amorim, Manchester United’s Europa League run has taken center stage. His position is secure despite the challenges, and it would be impossible to sack him a few months into his job.
At the time Amorim was appointed, United were 14th in the Premier League. Almost five months on, not a great deal has altered. Of 16 league matches in his charge, they have lost 11, and their performances have served to instill little confidence. To add insult to injury, their aspirations of domestic trophy success were brought to a shuddering halt with premature eliminations from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. Now, their best hope of rescuing the season is in the Europa League, where they host Real Sociedad in the first leg of their knockout tie on Thursday. Just a few days later, they face Arsenal in the Premier League, a game that could further determine their course.
The mood at Old Trafford has been one of despair, and the FA Cup loss to Fulham only added to it. The players regarded the tournament as a chance to bring some optimism to a poor season, but the door is now firmly shut. Now, they have to concentrate on the enormity of making their way through Europe with the knowledge that pressure is massive.
Aside from performances on the pitch, the atmosphere within the club has been further clouded by issues off the field. Redundancies among staff and job losses have added to a feeling of uncertainty, with cost-cutting measures among non-playing staff making many feel low in morale. The boardroom battles have mirrored the boardroom battles on the pitch, leading to an uncertain feeling regarding the future of the club.
The only definite instruction currently in operation is survival—surviving this tough spell and re-evaluating in the summer. But there has been minimal reassurance from the club hierarchy on the extent to which Amorim will be backed in the transfer window. Asked if he had been promised anything in terms of rebuilding the squad, the Portuguese manager conceded there were no guarantees.
That makes the Europa League the more important for it, both from a sporting and financial angle. Success on the continent might be just the shot in the arm that Manchester United need in terms of cash and confidence. It might assist Amorim in winning round the players, fans, and administrators at Old Trafford, respectively, all of whom are skeptical about where Manchester United are traveling.
Unlike his predecessor, Erik ten Hag, Amorim has not received any public backing from the club’s leadership. However, it is still unthinkable that United would dismiss him so soon after bringing him in. Having pursued him aggressively mid-season, they are expected to back him, though the club’s financial situation makes that a complicated task. Profit and Sustainability Rules will be central to their summer strategy, and in an effort to make any real headway, a big clear-out of the squad is going to be needed. Not doing so might condemn the club to another season of mediocrity—or worse.
There have been some positives on the back of the struggles, though, most notably in the emergence of 17-year-old forward Chido Obi. The young player has made an impression over the past few weeks, displaying potential with his athleticism, assertiveness in one-on-ones, and capacity to bring goal-scoring opportunities. In spite of his fast growth, he will not feature in the Europa League. United did not register him on their updated list ahead of the deadline, so he will have to sit out as his fellow players face Real Sociedad.
Coaches have been impressed with the development of Obi, while Amorim has admitted that there remains some “naivety” to his decision-making—something inevitable at his age. His work ethic, attitude, and desire have impressed those in the club, and there is real hope for his potential. But it will have to wait for its turn to impact on the European stage.
United’s Europa League campaign now means so much, the season and the finances of the club depending on it. The coming encounters against Real Sociedad and Arsenal will be test moments in Amorim’s career. Although his job is not on the line at present, there can be no escape from the pressure. The manner in which United see off the next couple of weeks will dictate not just the rest of the season but even the longer-term plans for the club under Amorim.
The orders are still simple for now: stay alive, reassemble, and pray that this summer will be the catalyst for change that has been so badly needed. United must begin winning, however, if it hopes to make it so.
