Ruben Amorim has been warned he has a huge task in reviving Manchester United, with a concerned Roy Keane naming three urgent issues that must be fixed – while Jamie Redknapp has also delivered a withering assessment of where their squad is at.
The Red Devils have turned to Amorim as a replacement for the sacked Erik ten Hag, with the departing Sporting Lisbon manager taking up his place in the hot seat from next Monday, November 11. With Manchester United down in 13th place, and having claimed just three wins from 10 Premier League games, the well-regarded 39-year-old coach will hope the only way is up at Old Trafford.
However, Keane has sent Amorim a no-nonsense message of where United are at as a club and says he must find a way for the players he will inherit to work harder, not cave in when things go against them and score more goals if he is to have any chance of success.
“There’s a few players in the United team in big positions who can’t run, which is a big problem,” Keane said on Sky Sports. “But they also have players in the team who don’t want to run and when they do run they don’t run hard enough, fast enough, for long enough so he has to get that into the dressing room, that mentality. The players who aren’t doing it you have to try and move them on.
“This team doesn’t run, that’s a big problem. They’ve got really talented players but if you’re not going to run you’ll get nowhere fast.”
He added: “This group of players don’t dig in when the going gets tough they go under, they go under too easily.”
United have also just scored nine times in 10 Premier League games so far and Keane knows that is also a major issue.
“The lack of goals is a huge problem for Man United,” Keane added. “Every time I read the league table, after nine or 10 games, minus three goals for Man Utd, it’s hard to read.”
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United are currently on minus three goals, while they are also finished last season with a negative in the for and against column having scored 57 but conceded 58.
Having watched them play out a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Old Trafford, another Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp hit out at the quality of the performance, saying the two sides compared to a much lower level than what they are actually at.
“Up until the goal it was a tough watch. It was like a pub game at times. From United’s point of view, I have seen them play worse this season,” former Liverpool star Redknapp said.
“When I watch United, they do play off the cuff. Organisation will help, but when I played against the best sides they did have that chaos. They’ve always had that chaos, but I don’t know if they’ve got good habits.”
Despite that, interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy was disappointed his side did not take home the three points after Moises Caicedo equalised shortly after Bruno Fernandes’ penalty opener.
“I am disappointed we didn’t win, we had the better of the chances in the game but overall the performance was fantastic. They left their all out there on the pitch,” he told Sky Sports.
“It was a great moment, the goal when Old Trafford explodes. Bruno Fernandes did well taking it and the emotion came out. This week has been special, I have enjoyed every second of it. I am here to help and will get behind the new manager and make sure the club grows.
“We are behind the new manager, everyone at the new club is focusing on the two games that are coming which are very important but then we will work hard to make this club better every day.”
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One man who could certainly help United’s lack of potency in attack is Sporting star Viktor Gyokeres, with the Swede already this season scoring more goals than United’s squad combined.
With 20 goals and four assists to his name from 16 outings so far, the Swede is in high demand, though he has made clear his wish to stay in the Portuguese capital for the time being at least.
“Going with Amorim to Manchester United? I don’t know,” Gyokeres replied when asked about the possibility of joining Amorim following his four-goal display against Estrela on Friday night.
“I’m here. As you can see, I enjoy it at Sporting.
“It’s nothing I really think about. I’m sad about him [Amorim] leaving. We wish him all the best.”
Meanwhile, reports in Spain claim United have ‘opened talks’ over a deal to make Jamal Musiala a bombshell first signing of the Amorim era at Old Trafford.
The Bayern Munich star is out of contract in summer 2026 and talks over an extension are yet to yield a positive outcome. As a result, United are keen to pounce on the opportunity to bring the playmaker back to English football – though any deal is likely to shatter their club record fee.
Elsewhere, it’s also reported that Amorim is ready to greenlight the return of Benfica full-back Alvaro Carreras.
The Red Devils continue to struggle for left-back options but can fix the issue by striking the buy-back clause in the Spaniard’s deal – something Amorim is reportedly keen to do.
