Manchester United: Should club sack Ruben Amorim at end of the season?

Manchester United's Ruben Amorim faces uncertain future despite club's reluctance to sack him amid poor performances and desperate need for improvement.

As Manchester United struggles to find its footing, the question on everyone's mind is: will Ruben Amorim be given the boot? The young manager's team has been underperforming, and the football being played is, quite frankly, terrifying.

A desperate situation

United are desperate, but not in the way you might think. They're not desperate to sack Amorim, but rather desperate not to have to start from scratch again. The club has been through a tumultuous period since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, and the thought of rebooting once more is daunting.

Amorim's struggles

Amorim's team has been terribly poor, and the manager's tactics have been criticized for being rigid and uninspired. In his native Portugal, they can't believe what they're seeing. Amorim was once hailed as a bright young manager with innovative ideas, but at United, he's struggled to impose his personality on the team.

A lack of progress

Since Amorim took over from Erik ten Hag in November, the team has regressed. There have been a few glimpses of hope – a good draw at Liverpool, a gutsy FA Cup win at Arsenal – but overall, the performances have been woeful. Amorim's points per game average over his 16 league matches is a dismal 1.1.

Comparisons to other managers

Other Premier League clubs have made managerial changes this season and have seen marginal gains. Vitor Pereira at Wolves and Graham Potter at West Ham have both shown signs of improvement, while David Moyes has exceeded expectations at Everton. Amorim, on the other hand, is among the three worst-performing managers in the league, alongside Leicester's Ruud van Nistelrooy and Southampton's Ivan Juric.

The case for keeping Amorim

Despite the bleak outlook, there are arguments to be made for keeping Amorim on. He inherited a squad that wasn't his own, and injuries have depleted his options. The team's poor atmosphere, both on and off the pitch, can't be solely attributed to Amorim. The Glazer family's ownership and INEOS's cost-cutting measures have contributed to the malaise.

The verdict

So, what's there to save Amorim from the sack? Blind hope and optimism, it seems. While there are valid reasons for keeping him on, the harsh reality is that results matter. If Amorim can't turn things around, he'll likely join the managerial merry-go-round this summer. The question is, will United's hierarchy give him the time and resources to prove himself, or will they cut their losses and start anew?