RUBEN Amorim should be looking ahead to Manchester United’s return to Premier League action this weekend with a renewed sense of optimism.
Yet four huge games now await United, starting at Liverpool. They could shape how this season turns out for the team, for better or worse.
Amorim’s side produced one of the most solid performances of his time in charge by beating Sunderland 2-0 immediately before the international break.
The result eased pressure that had been mounting on the Portuguese head coach in the aftermath of a woeful defeat at Brentford the week before.
Since then, minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has backed Amorim, talking in terms of it taking three years for the former Sporting coach to make his mark at Old Trafford – and reminding supporters how long it took Sir Alex Ferguson to navigate choppy waters following his arrival at the club in 1986.
However, Amorim knows few will take Ratcliffe’s words at face value if the team fail to make meaningful progress on last season’s 15th place, United’s worst top-flight finish since the 1973-74 relegation season.
The Sunderland win lifted United to 10th, only the second time this season they have ended a match round in the top half of the table. It was just their 10th victory in 34 Premier League games since Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag in November last year. They are still to win two successive league games.
United could not have a much tougher assignment on Sunday than Liverpool at Anfield (16:30 BST), where they have not won since 2016 and, until last season, had scored once in eight visits.
Few think United will return from Merseyside with three points. In terms of expectation, it is the fixtures after that where the real peril comes – Brighton at home, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham away.
In theory it is a good chance to pick up a decent points haul and push up the table towards the European places. In the dressing room and the boardroom, this is United’s stated aim this season and would prove progress has been made.
Yet, in each of the past two seasons, United have lost at home against Brighton and away at the City Ground and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Last term, Amorim was in charge for each of them.
Below is a list of the upcoming fixtures and a look at what happened in 2024-25, with Amorim’s post-match assessments and fan verdicts.
It is fair to assume much better is expected this time around.
19 October: Liverpool, away (2024-25: 2-2 on 5 January)
Supposedly the hardest of United’s next four games is actually the only one they have got any points from in the past two seasons. In January, Lisandro Martinez put United ahead – the first time that had happened at Anfield since Wayne Rooney scored the only goal in 2016 – but it took Amad Diallo’s equaliser to earn them a draw, with Harry Maguire blazing an excellent opportunity to win it over the bar in stoppage time.
“It is really clear,” said Amorim at the time. “When we are focused, when we fight for every ball, when we suffer and when we are tired when the game is finished, we are a good team. If we don’t do that all the time, we are going to lose games.”
Supporter David hit the nail on the head with his post-match assessment on BBC Sport’s fans’ verdict, saying: “At last, the real Manchester United stepped forward. Will we now finally keep it going? I wish I was feeling more confident about the answer being yes!”
25 October: Brighton, home (2024-25: 1-3 on 19 January)
An awful afternoon was topped off by Amorim’s explosive post-match comments.
Brighton have now won three successive Premier League games at Old Trafford and this one was particularly poor. After getting caught on the counter-attack, United equalised through a Bruno Fernandes penalty and survived their opponents having a goal ruled out by the video assistant referee (VAR).
But Kaoru Mitoma sneaked in at the far post behind Noussair Mazraoui to put the visitors ahead again, before goalkeeper Andre Onana allowed a routine low cross from Yasin Ayari to slip from his grasp under no pressure to present Georginio Rutter with a tap-in.
“In [the past] 10 games in the Premier League, we won two,” said Amorim. “Imagine what this is for a fan of Manchester United. Imagine what this is for me. We are getting a new coach who is losing more than the last coach. I have full knowledge of that. We are the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United.”
Supporter Su did not want to focus on Onana’s error on BBC Sport’s fans’ verdict, saying: “Brighton were full of purpose from minute one, United were not. Talking about the Onana mistake will simply cover the multitude of problems at Old Trafford.”
1 November: Nottingham Forest, away (2024-25: 0-1 on 1 April)
Losing at the City Ground in the Premier League for the second successive season was bad enough for Manchester United. That Anthony Elanga should score the winner just twisted the knife deeper.
United sold Elanga to Forest for £15m in 2023 as Erik ten Hag did not share Ralf Rangnick’s high opinion of the Sweden forward. Elanga’s goal was a beauty as he ran 50 yards downfield after Forest cleared a United corner and Mazraoui backed off, before driving a low shot into the net from just inside the area.
“One transition on our set-piece,” said Amorim. “We cannot suffer this type of goal.”
Adam was scathing on BBC Sport’s fans’ verdict, saying: “I hate to sound like a broken record, but Ruben Amorim got it wrong yet again. Poor formation, poor first-team choices, poor substitutions and no adaptability. He’s digging his own grave so early on.”
8 November: Tottenham, away (2024-25: 0-1 on 16 February)
United’s most damaging defeat by Spurs under Amorim so far came in the Europa League final in May as it cost them a place in this season’s Champions League.
But losing to Tottenham was a familiar feeling last season – it happened four times, including an EFL Cup victory.
In February, Spurs became the first side to beat United three times in a season since Chelsea in 2012-13. James Maddison scored the only goal of the league game in London after 13 minutes. Spurs were also completing their first league double over United since 1989-90, when Terry Venables was in charge.
“Difference of the game? They scored and we didn’t,” Amorim said.
Peter’s response on BBC Sport’s fans’ verdict was more damning: “No vision, no ambition, no effort.”