The alliance against Amorim: Man United legends tear into under-pressure manager

Ruben Amorim may have earned the backing of Manchester United's owners for now — but his job is hanging by a thread after receiving an avalanche of criticism from legends of the club.

The Red Devils suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat in Sunday's Manchester derby and dropped to 14th in the Premier League table after five games, eclipsing their worst start to a season since 1992-93.

To make matters worse, United have already crashed out of the Carabao Cup too, having lost on penalties against League Two outfit Grimsby Town.

The woeful start to the new campaign comes after Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League last season — the club's lowest ever finish in the division — with Amorim having taken over from Erik ten Hag last November.

And yet, despite the dismal start and lack of results, Daily Mail Sport understands there are no plans to fire the Portuguese, with owners harnessing the belief that progress is being made.

Contrary to the view of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos, an alarming number of Manchester United legends have ripped into Amorim following United's disappointing derby defeat — and identified five key areas of concern.

Tactics

Since coming into the football club, Amorim has persisted with his preferred 5-2-3 shape, favouring a solid base of three centre-halves over bodies in midfield.

Whether against Manchester City or fourth-tier Grimsby Town, the system hasn't changed — and the Portuguese manager's lack of adaptability has been criticised immensely over the past few days.

Paul Scholes, who won 11 Premier League titles during Sir Alex Ferguson's fruitful reign at Old Trafford, tore into Amorim for his lack of flexibility after watching Sunday's Manchester derby.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes said: 'Oh God, where do you start with it? You talk about his philosophy, his style of play now.

'There are so many clever coaches these days in England and all around the world and they work it out quite easily. They know exactly the way Manchester United are going to play every single week.

'I remember when we were younger and in the first team and the team sheet always came through an hour before the game. You'd look at the players and the manager would be wondering how they're going to play today.

'Are they going five at the back, four at the back? With Amorim, everybody knows. It's easy to play against and easy to work out because the coaches are that clever now.

'I'm not sure even if he changed it, even if he played a 4-3-3. I just don't think the players are quite good enough.'

Amorim's refusal to compromise on his philosophy is not just irking legends of the football club.

It is understood his rigid principles have unsettled sections of the Red Devils dressing room, and star man Bruno Fernandes is believed to be unhappy operating in a deeper role within the engine room.

After Sunday's game, ex-United captain and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said: 'I think there will be some pressure applied to the manager and his rigidity of sticking with the system.

'There have been times when I have seen United lose this type of match when I feel angry and frustrated. I just feel nothing, which is even worse. This has been a nothing of a performance. United have just been beaten. With Chelsea next week, another defeat and big questions would start to be asked.

'I'm worried about the manager, I'm worried about what's going to happen in this next few weeks. I don't think it's a time for panic, but I've seen this before, we've seen this film.'

Team Selection

While Amorim's methods and philosophy have come under scrutiny, so has his team selection. The lack of flexibility within his system has forced certain players into positions they are not used to, while others have found it increasingly difficult to break into the team.

Captain Fernandes, who has been United's best attacking player for several seasons now, is being consistently deployed as a deep-lying playmaker alongside Manuel Ugarte and as a result has fewer opportunities to create chances in the final third.

A knock-on effect of Fernandes' new position is that highly-rated Man United youngster Kobbie Mainoo is being frequently left out of the starting XI, having fallen behind the Portugal international, Ugarte and Casemiro in Amorim's pecking order.

Mainoo requested a loan move away from Old Trafford during the summer transfer window and fuelled speculation that he is unhappy at the club with a string of cryptic posts on social media.

Nicky Butt, who emerged through Man United's star-studded academy class of 1998 alongside Scholes, Neville, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs, urged that Amorim is deploying players in the wrong positions and is being punished as a result.

'Forget the system,' Butt told The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast. 'The players are just not at the level that Manchester United need.

'They're not aggressive enough, they're not quick enough, they've not got the legs in midfield. They're playing two in midfield, Bruno [Fernandes] in there, and he hasn't got the legs to do it in a three let alone a two.

'If they want results and he wants to keep his job in the long run, he's going to have to bite the bullet and change a little bit.

'If he doesn't, they're going to keep losing games.'

Meanwhile, United's club record goalscorer Wayne Rooney has insisted that Amorim must address the team's 'lack of leadership' by recalling seasoned England international Harry Maguire back into the starting XI.

Despite a lack of progress and results, the 40-year-old manager has kept faith in Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Luke Shaw as his three centre-halves, with Maguire left to come off the bench as a substitute as he did during the 3-0 defeat by Man City.

Speaking on the BBC's Wayne Rooney Show after the Manchester derby, the former striker said: 'Harry should be starting. I heard Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink talking about it and how much England missed Harry Maguire at the Euros because he’s a leader.

'I’m sat there thinking how is he not playing with the three defenders who are playing. He should be in there, there's a lack of leadership.'

Lack of aggression

Amorim's team selection is not the issue concerning Rooney.

The Red Devils legend, who was known for his passionate and determined style of play, lamented over United's lack of aggression during the derby.

Disappointed at the manner in which his old team limped to defeat against their rivals, Rooney said: ‘At the Etihad, you can lose that game but I didn’t see a tackle – even when I goes to 2-0, 3-0.

'I didn’t see anyone say “do you know what, I’m not having this” and taking a yellow card or putting a tackle in. That passion, that desire.'

Man United's former tough-tackling captain Roy Keane shared the same view when he immediately reflected on the derby in the Sky Sports studio.

After the manager calmly admitted his players weren't aggressive enough during his post-match interview, Keane said: '[Amorim] should be fuming. He should be raging. I like managerial emotion, but I like my manager to show his anger as well.

'I just couldn’t imagine being in a dressing room after losing the derby game 3-0 and everyone going, "Yeah, did we all try?"

'He’s on about people not being aggressive out of possession. When the goals go in, that’s when you have to be aggressive. It’s called smelling danger when you’re a footballer.'

After United's 1-0 defeat by Arsenal on the opening weekend of the season, Keane also ripped into his former team and their goalkeeper Altay Bayindir for being 'weak and soft', again highlighting a lack of aggression.

Pulling no punches while analysing Arsenal's winning goal from a set-piece, he said: 'If you're the goalkeeper, just take control of the six-yard box. Keepers and defenders complain all the time, "Oh people are on my face."

'Well, you get in their face. The goalkeeper's got to take control of that six-yard box. Focus on the ball. Be aggressive.

'I've said it many times for a goalkeeper. Come with violence, come and be aggressive. That is your area. Take control of it. Arsenal are very good at it. But Man United? Weak and soft.'

Recruitment

Rio Ferdinand sounded the alarm over one of Manchester United's big-money summer buys after Sunday's defeat, admitting he is 'worried' about the new signing.

The Red Devils splashed out over £200million this summer on new recruits, from £62.5m Matheus Cunha to £71m Bryan Mbeumo, significantly bolstering Amorim's attack after scoring just 44 goals from 38 league matches last campaign.

Ferdinand confessed he has concerns over some of Amorim's new signings, in particular the £74m arrival of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.

'The one I'm worried about is (Benjamin) Sesko,' Ferdinand said on his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast. 'He ain't getting no chances man, he ain't getting no opportunities, there's nothing created for him.

'That's the concern. A new striker comes in the football club, gets in the team, you've got to think about creating chances for him.

'Getting him on the end of things. He's got to think about getting on the end of things. That's something I think has got to be looked at, and fixed quick. I don't want to think about what it could turn out to be.

'If I sit here now and you ask me, "where will Man United finish?", I would say probably sixth or seventh, I would be happy with it this season. That's looking like a long shot at this moment in time.'

While Sesko struggled for opportunities, Rasmus Hojlund immediately hit the ground running at Napoli this weekend after completing his loan move to the Italian giants, scoring in their 3-1 win over Fiorentina.

The Dane, whose loan move to Napoli includes an obligation to buy clause at the end of the season, will hope to become the latest Man United flop to flourish after leaving the club, with former £85m signing Antony also having prospered on loan at Real Betis last campaign before sealing a permanent move their this summer.

Meanwhile, Scott McTominay has taken huge stride since moving to Napoli last summer and has reportedly almost doubled his market value after playing a crucial role in their Serie A title triumph last term.

Lack of progress

It has been a dismal 12 years since Ferguson left Old Trafford, and unfortunately for fans things only seem to be getting worse.

Premier League finishes are falling lower and lower every season and Amorim does not look any closer to solving the crisis at United than Ten Hag or those before him.

In fact, Rooney went on record after this weekend's defeat to state that United have worsened under Amorim, evidenced by a crucial detail in the Manchester derby.

'I want to be as supportive and positive as I can be on the manager and the players,' he said. 'But it is very difficult to sit here and say we are seeing progression, and at least we're seeing things that will get results in the near future.

'We're seeing none of that, and it is very difficult. There was an image towards the end of the game where I saw the Manchester United fans leaving.

'You could hear the fans singing Amorim's name, but I think that is so powerful that the United fans were leaving the game.

'You know the game is over and I think they were very disappointed in what they were seeing. It is hard to see how it continues What are the patterns? What are we seeing what might improve the team moving forward?

'I think after the last year when Ten Hag got sacked and Ruben came in, we're hearing how they're going to play and it is going to change. I think if the manager is honest with himself, it has got worse.'

Amorim's next opportunity to prove the pundits wrong comes on Saturday when the Red Devils host Chelsea, who are undefeated so far, at Old Trafford.

After taking on Enzo Maresca's side, United will prepare for two winnable games against Brentford and newly-promoted Sunderland before a huge clash with bitter rivals Liverpool at Anfield after the second international break of the season.