Comment by Rowan Callaghan
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is running out of excuses as he braces for a rebuild he hopes will result in a squad capable of delivering the success he enjoyed playing with his preferred formation at Sporting CP.
United have lurched from one disaster to the next under the Portuguese manager, who led them to a dismal 15th-place finish in the league.
He even threatened to walk away if the United hierarchy wanted him to go, after the club lost last week’s Europa League final against Tottenham – and with it, the opportunity to sneak into the Champions League through the back door. He later backtracked.
At his pre-match press conference on Saturday, Amorim insisted that this season’s mistakes would not be repeated next term.
“In this moment, I am really glad we arrived six months before we started a new season,” said the United boss.
“I think we will avoid a lot of mistakes in the next season. Now is the time we can use all that suffering to change things in the summer.”
The response from the club had been equally drastic in the aftermath of the Europa League hammer blow in Bilbao.
Reports from the UK claimed that all the players in the squad were up for sale.
News of a potential fire sale at the fallen English giants came as no surprise after they lost out on a potential £100 million payday, which could have been a major boost to Amorim’s transfer kitty.
Reports of cut-price deals for some of the club’s big-money signings could become the norm over the next few months, as Amorim searches for the perfect players for his favoured 3-5-2 formation.
However, the overhaul could be complicated by the massive wages of many of United’s under-performing stars.
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They have hardly covered themselves in glory in one of the worst seasons in United’s history, so the list of potential suitors is not expected to be a long one.
There are likely to be a fair number of bargain hunters among those, too.
As is the case with Marcus Rashford’s loan move to Aston Villa, the Old Trafford side may have to subsidise future wages to get players off their books – or accept reduced fees.
This could also potentially affect the wages they are able to offer incoming players, who will not even have the consolation of European football at Old Trafford.
Those players unwanted by the club, who refuse to take a pay cut to facilitate a move away, could also dig in their heels and insist on seeing out the remainder of their contracts.
So, Amorim’s restructure is by no means a fait accompli.
The manager must also accept a large share of the blame for the position United find themselves in.
His stubborn refusal to adapt his playing style to suit the circumstances – and the players at the club – has seen him labelled as a one-trick pony.
Yet Amorim’s backers will argue that the United hierarchy knew exactly what he was about before they hired him midway through the season.
To ask him to then adapt his playing style to suit the players he inherited was arguably unfair.
There may be merit in that argument.
And Amorim will have the opportunity to prove his doubters wrong next season, after enjoying the benefit of a full pre-season with his charges.
The pending acquisition of Brazilian striker Clarence Cunha from Wolves proves that United still have the pull to attract quality players.
However, the ability to navigate the market and find hidden or cut-price gems who fit the profile could be the biggest test yet of the manager’s mettle.
