Manchester United are reportedly furious about recent reports surrounding Rúben Amorim and the players’ thoughts on their current trajectory.
After stepping in midway through last season, Rúben Amorim’s first full campaign at Manchester United has begun in worrying fashion, producing just one win, one draw, and three defeats in the early weeks of 2025/26.
The season opened with a narrow 1-0 loss to Arsenal that carried a few positives. A dull 1-1 draw at Fulham followed, before United suffered humiliation in the Carabao Cup, crashing out to League Two side Grimsby Town on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
Their only success so far came against Burnley, with Bruno Fernandes netting a stoppage-time penalty to clinch a 3-2 win.
However, after the international break, Amorim’s side were swept aside 3-0 by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, a defeat that has fuelled mounting doubts over his future at Old Trafford.
Club furious about recent dressing room leaks
In the last week or so, there have been multiple reports suggesting that the players within the United dressing room are uncomfortable and do not believe in the head coach’s 3-4-2-1 system, which has been under intense criticism this season.
Further, it was claimed that Fernandes is unhappy with his current role of playing deeper and feels he should be closer to the goal rather than acting as a deep-lying playmaker.
Following the recent leaks, football journalist Graeme Bailey has reported that the club are furious, with United having worked too hard to eradicate them. After team news kept getting leaked out of United ahead of games, Amorim stamped down on them when he first joined, which was a breath of fresh air.
“The one thing the club are furious about is the potential of leaks again, seeing stories about players and squad members not being convinced by Amorim or his tactics,” Bailey told UnitedInFocus.
“The club thought they had really stamped this out, they see it as totally destructive to what they are trying to do.
“United firmly believe they are building something, but they won’t and can’t allow internal discontent to impact on the club as a whole.”
Amorim’s lack of results loses player faith
Who is at fault for the poor results of late is a debate that has been raging among fans and pundits, with some feeling that the players are simply not pulling their weight.
However, when Amorim’s system is broken down, it appears that the players are merely being asked to execute instructions that are either overly challenging, such as the wide centre-backs being required to cover excessive space, or instructions that are prematurely adjusted.
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Amorim’s midfield two has been a contentious topic of discussion, with many arguing that with so many teams adopting a three-man midfield, it’s simply impossible for whoever starts in the middle of the park for United to keep up.
There are also many smaller decisions, such as not playing Kobbie Mainoo, that continue to look inexplicable to fans, which further pile questions on Amorim and add to the players’ losing faith in the project.
While the players are the ones on the field who are not putting in performances that are enough to win football games, a large section of the blame at Old Trafford must also lie with Amorim’s current set-up and instructions.
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