A fifth defeat in six league games prompted the head coach who left Sporting CP second in the Champions League to warn that United are at risk of dropping into the Championship. This might be a relegation battle. “It is one of the worst moments in the history of our club, and we have to accept that,” he said.
“I think our club needs a shock.” This is what they are getting. This may be the worst kind of shock therapy. Erik ten Hag seemed to redefine rock bottom for United by finishing eighth last season, but it gets lower.
When United sacked the Dutchman, it was in part because they thought they might be able to qualify for the Champions League. But they were 14th then and 14th now. They could be 15th before they play again. They are 13 points from the top four, seven from the bottom three. They are in poorer form than most of the strugglers and stragglers.
Since Amorim arrived, only Leicester and Southampton have taken fewer points. But for the Amad Diallo-inspired comeback in the Manchester derby, it would be six straight league losses. Newcastle only won 2-0 at Old Trafford but it might have been many more. The gulf between teams who finished side by side in the table in the last two seasons is now wider than the gap between Casemiro and Eriksen.
Perhaps it falls upon Amorim to prick United's bubble of delusion. He joined the club with "Project 150", the stated aim of winning the league by 2028. Unless that league is the Football League, they won’t. Amorim walked away from the prospect of a league title, his third. When he was lured from Sporting, they had a 100 per cent record in the Portuguese league for one.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 01, 2025 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 01, 2025 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
STOLEN MOMENTS
The antics of the gentleman thief in EW Hornung's 'Raffles' bring Anthony Quinn as much joy as when he was a child.
Can Glaser give Hollywood the roasting it deserves?
The stand-up comedian's close-to-the-bone comedy makes Nikki Glaser the ideal choice to host tomorrow's Golden Globes. Move over, Ricky Gervais, writes Kevin E G Perry
'I'd just turned 18... I don't think I was remotely sexy'
Little Mix's Jade Thirlwall is newly solo with a debut electropop hit to her name. She talks to Annabel Nugent about the downside of fame and how she's never feared 'clapping back'
The disruptor: why Musk is a risk to German democracy
The tech billionaire's move to support the AfD is proof he is determined to unsettle a nation that knows all too well what far-right dictatorship can bring, writes John Kampfner
Slot turns transfer saga into surprise Liverpool benefit
Arne Slot has claimed that the saga about Trent AlexanderArnold's future is helpful to him as it prevents his Liverpool players from being overloaded with praise that could make them complacent.
United 'are starving for leaders', admits Amorim
When Ruben Amorim got to convey good news, it still came with a demand.
Still a teenager but there are few weaknesses in his game
Whether he beat or lost to Michael van Gerwen on the Alexandra Palace stage on Friday night, Luke Littler was al going to leave his second World Darts Championship as a winner.
Littler makes history after winning world title aged 17
Darts has a new world champion, and he's a 17-year-old boy from Warrington.
The hot UK industry that could be facing a wipeout
Don't tell Liam and Noel, but the biggest entertainment event of 2025 won't be their reunion, it'll be the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI.
Taxes to rise again despite growth, warn economists
A group of economists have warned that the Treasury is likely to raise taxes even further this year, despite an expectation that the country will return to growth in 2025.
