After a 2-0 loss to Newcastle in the final match of 2024 for United, Ruben Amorim said that it will be difficult for MUFC to bring in players in January.
Speaking post-match, Amorim was asked whether the club would be looking to sign players in the winter window to which he replied: “We don't have that possibility in January if we don't sell some players”.
“You know the situation better than me. I can’t arrive and spend money immediately”.
He was also asked about whether a style change is what he needs to do in order to get the best out of the current players and get better results.
The United boss replied that “If I know for sure that changing the system will get us near to win games I will do it" but also said that there is no guarantee that a system change will result in better outcomes during games.
"I have to sell my idea" is something that he repeated post-match on several occasions as well. Amorim hits back at the media asking him that a style change maybe necessary by saying that "When you have a change of coach especially in this type of club it’s because they are not winning. In that moment after two years of playing that system - working in preseasons they were losing.”
Amorim is persistent in that he wants to stick to his way of playing.
Final Thoughts
There was A LOT to unpack in the manager's post-match presser but these were the two things that stood out to me: potentially no signings in January and sticking to his plan no matter what.
I feel as though this is setting Amorim up to fail, at least until the end of the season which could end in relegation, something that the boss mentioned as 'embarrassing' for United to be in a relegation scrap, which they are.
If the club aren't going to get him the players he wants and he'll have to continue to try and sell his idea to players who clearly aren't good enough to play Amorim ball, then they may as well have kept Erik ten Hag. His was a system these players understood and no one would've complained too much about no transfers in January because they already backed ten Hag so much in the summer.
To then bring in your manager as Amorim was a the guy CEO Omar Berrada wanted, and to then not back him to some extent in January, makes no sense.
If you asked many, they would tell you out of the current squad, there is only a handful of players that have a future under this manager: Amad, Ugarte, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Mainoo and perhaps Yoro. The rest can go.
But just six players who are not even guarantees to be a part of Amorim's ideal side is nowhere near enough. This means that a lot of them have to go which will be difficult to get rid of them all but we can start with something.
However, Amorim did say and is something that we've known for a while that we have to sell to buy. Rashford looks on his way out so that could give us some money to bring in someone that would work under Amorim. There's also rumors about other players but I think it needs to come from the club to say 'you're gone' whether the player likes it or not. INEOS have to make the call for them especially in January because we are crying out for so many players.
Not having a left-sided player is killing us down that left flank. Dalot hasn't a clue how to play on the left nor as a wing-back. Jamie Carragher spoke sense for once as he gave a brilliant breakdown of why we're struggling with both Dalot and Mazraoui as wing-backs.
Having a player out on the left would make such a difference to this team.
A striker is also an area of improvement because as much as I like Hojlund and Zirkzee, it's evident that neither (at this moment) are good enough to lead the line.
Without Ugarte in midfield, we have no one else who can play CDM and we are worse off for it. Casemiro is the only other CDM but he seems to have checked out completely when looking at his performances.
For United to not have a left-back/left wing-back, no proper striker and no backup CDM is unacceptable for our club.
For the club to appear broke but have no issues sacking 200+ staff, canceling Christmas parties and charity events, having a high ticket price of £66 to watch that shite on the field, and reduce Christmas bonuses, doesn't paint a good picture for INEOS as they are the ones who've come in and made all these decisions.
Surely they should have some money for at least one transfer even if it is a cheap deal?
And because of these crap players, Amorim is constantly being asked whether a style change is something that he has to look into in order to get better performances and results.
Erik ten Hag was hammered for not having an identity and not implementing his Ajax style at United. It was the thing I was most disappointed with when it came to the Dutchman as the whole reason for bringing him in was to see that Ajax football at Old Trafford.
After his opening two games in which he was embarrassed by Brighton and Brentford, ten Hag threw his style out the window and never tried to implement it again.
He even said that “I can't play like Ajax because I have different players" another manager who couldn't implement his style because of the squad.
Now that Amorim is sticking to his guns despite his start being worse than that of ten Hag's, people are getting frustrated and want him to change.
People don't know what they want.
I love the fact that Amorim is not changing his way of playing. Like he said, the reason for bringing in a new manager is because you want him to implement what he did at his previous club at his new club because it was obviously a style that people thought was great and wanted to see at United.
What's the point then if he's going to abandon it because of bad results? It's not as if we were doing well under ten Hag playing a 4-2-3-1, a formation and style these players have been used to for many years.
There is no guarantee that we will be better off with a change of style.
The manager HAS to stick to his principles otherwise he may as well walk.
Potentially not signing nor selling players in January means that we should probably just call the season off here.
There is no way Amorim will get us anywhere respectable by the end of the campaign with what he's got.
He will fail.
But I am with him all the way.
Ruben AmorHIM.
Background Image: Ruben Amorim says that Man Utd may not bringin new players in January | Creator: Stu Forster | Credit: Getty Images Copyright: 2024 Getty Images via Goal