Ruben Amorim could help regain Manchester United's lost legacy; here's why

It has been a frustrating season for Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United. Despite high hopes and flashes of tactical promise, results have fallen short. Yet, there are four strong reasons why he should stay the course at Old Trafford.

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Europa League run

Even though Manchester United are struggling in the league, Ruben Amorim has stayed calm and motivated the team to reach the UEFA Europa League final. Despite a limited squad and changes in the competition format, few experts expected the Red Devils to be just one victory away from qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next season. It is important to address that Amorim did this with a limited squad, trying to develop youngsters such as Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo, Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Højlund, Patrick Dorgu, Leny Yoro, and Joshua Zirkzee among others. The feeling of victory in a Europa League final could spur faith in the team and help them prepare better for the next season.

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Big club mentality

Following the team's defeat to West Ham, Amorim admitted he was embarrassed with the team and that the problems are much bigger than the Europa League trophy. “I don’t want to talk about players. I am talking about myself and the culture in the club and the culture in the team. We need to change that. It's a decisive moment in the history of the club. We need to be really strong in the summer and to be brave because we will not have a next season like this. If we start like this, if the feeling is still here, we should give the space to different people,” Amorim had said, adding that the team was losing the feeling that it was a big club. This indicates his passion towards helping Manchester United reclaim its position among the Big Six of Europe, in terms of football philosophy. 

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Not enough time to acclimatise

Amorim was winning the domestic league title in Portugal with Sporting Lisbon when the call from Manchester United came. Given a squad largely built on the philosophies by Erik Ten Hag, everyone knew Amorim would have to be patient before bringing in players suited to his preferred system—a process that was unlikely to happen before the summer of 2025 due to the club's financial struggles.

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Insufficient players suited to Amorim's tactics

Amorim emphasises on a solid defensive shape that reduces spaces for opponents and limits their chances and rely on fast, efficient transitions from defense to attack. Amorim uses pace and creativity, especially from young forwards like Alejandro Garnacho, to create goal-scoring opportunities. His system demands intense pressing and collective effort, boosting team unity and work ethic on the pitch. Amorim prefers to use 3-4-3 formation, which can easily shift to 5-4-1 or 3-5-2 mid-match based on the scenario. However, what Manchester United really need are players who can play in this system.