The Disastrous Reign of Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford - How the Portuguese is destroying the club from within

 13 wins in 41 games in the league. A lower win rate than what Victor Pereira had at Wolves. From 8 academy players in the squad to 1. More goals conceded than goals scored. More losses at Old Trafford than wins. Losing a cup final to Spurs. It's safe to say Ruben Amorim's time at Old Trafford has been nothing short of a disaster. Except the wins at Anfield and Etihad, United fans have had little to cheer about in the last 13 months. 200 million spent in the summer but what has been sold as a long term project has morphed into a tactical identity crisis and a dismantling of the foundations United has been built on.

A Tactical Vision that never arrived

Ruben Amorim was one of the most exciting young managers in Europe sought after by many top European clubs before coming at Old Trafford but he has failed to find his feet in England. His Sporting Lisbon side was one of the most free scoring in Europe and had won the league title twice under him, using his famous (or now infamous) 3-4-2-1 formation. But what Amorim has failed to realise is that the Premier league is a different beast.

Amorim has failed to adapt to the Premier league, his flaws have been exploited by every team and he has already made it clear he won't change his system - a recipe for disaster. Oliver Glasner plays the same formation as Amorim does but what people fail to realise is the roles and instructions in that specific formation are different. Glasner has made it clear he plays this way because it suits his players. It does not suit the players at Old Trafford and yet Amorim has failed to adapt and change to get results. 

Amorim's team at Sporting. It's clear it has not worked out in England.

Hence, it's no surprise that United look lost. Football at this level demands flexibility but Amorim's refusal to bend has left United predictable and easy to beat and the results are exposing this every single week. 

The Death of Youth Development

Manchester United has always been about the academy. Youth. Courage. Success. From the Busby Babes to the Class of 92 to the likes of Marcus Rashford and Scott Mctominay, every United team has had a homegrown hero who the fans love and adore. But the most shocking aspect of Amorim's tenure has been his disregard for the academy - the very institution that has shaped Manchester United's identity for decades. Kobbie Mainoo has been pushed to the fringes while Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford have been sold/loaned out. Young talents like Shea Lacey and Jack Fletcher have seen their development stall, not getting chances even in the worst United team since the 80's. 

Kobbie Mainoo has not started a Premier League game this season.

The pathway that produced greats like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes has been frozen, replaced by a system with no place for youth. In a club built on opportunity, Amorim has done nothing but lock the doors. 

Amateur In-Game Management

One of the most crucial aspects of being a good manager is how you respond to the events of a game. If you have a good Plan B and how you make the substitutions to try and change the game. Ruben Amorim's in game management has been dreadful at Old Trafford. 

He has subbed on defenders when United need a goal, he has an obssession with changing his centre backs - a thing no one does in football at this level and he never has a plan B. Be it chasing a goal or defending a goal, playing home or away, playing Manchester City or Burnley, it's the same type of football every game. 

In a league defined by adaptability, Amorim's refusal to adjust and no Plan B has turned United into the most predictable side in the country. 

A Club drifting away from it's Identity

Manchester United has always been about direct attacking football, flashy wingers and players who will make you stand up from your seat and applaud. There is not a single component of the current squad that says "Yes this is Manchester United.". Amorim's style is slow, does not have place for wingers and is incredibly boring.

The likes of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho have left the club under Amorim.

The proud record of having atleast one academy graduate in the squad since 1938 still remains but just as a record. No academy player has played a big part in the current campaign and the record might as well be broken now. Fans feel disconnected from the club and Old Trafford booed the team on Monday night, a sight we very rarely see.

United once stood for excitement and identity, but under Amorim it feels like those values are fading fast - and the silence inside Old Trafford speaks louder than any chant ever could. If this is the new Manchester United, it is one unrecognisable to the fans who built it - and that is the greatest indictment of Amorim’s reign yet.

Ruben Amorim has greatly improved the fitness levels at the club, and is a young manager who still has a lot to learn. But perhaps the United job came too early for him. Maybe he goes on to become a great manager but one thing is clear, he has failed at Old Trafford and the sooner the board realises this the better. 

By Parth Gokhale