Rúben Amorim must listen to advice from one former Manchester United defender following a series of injury blows at Old Trafford.
Rúben Amorim’s first few months as Manchester United head coach have been among the most turbulent introductions to English football in recent memory.
The 40-year-old has faced a fractured and underperforming squad, while off-field controversies have continued to dominate the headlines.
Over the past year, United’s football operations have undergone a major overhaul, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS taking control and a series of boardroom changes contributing to the instability at Old Trafford.
Amid the chaos, Amorim has been tasked with lifting the team from 13th place in the Premier League and carrying the heavy burden of Europa League success, with Champions League qualification for next season hanging in the balance.
What should Amorim’s priority be?
There has been debate among fans as to what Amorim’s priorities should be for the rest of the campaign, with a thinly-stretched squad playing twice a week in the Premier League and Europa League.
Former United defender Wes Brown, who won 13 trophies in his 15 years at the club, has put forward the case that Amorim must look to prioritise winning the Europa League.
“It would put us in a massive competition for next season because we’re not going to get there in the league,” Brown told the club’s media channels this week.
“I understand going up in the league, and every place earns you more money. Yes, you’re right, you have to be playing at a good standard in the league, but cups are cups.
“I’m not saying you can switch it on, but I think we’ve got ourselves in this position for a good five seasons now where we’ve always progressed in the Europa and got to a certain point and, for whatever reason, our mindset is we understand we need to win in the cup.
“With all of the injuries we’ve got, I don’t think we can change too much anyway. You’re hoping you play well in the league and say you do get beat by one of the teams, as long as you’ve played well, you’ve created opportunities, you can take the positives into Europe 100 per cent. Like I said, in Europe it’s a different mindset, it’s a different mentality.”
Amorim must listen to Brown’s advice
More than anything, reports in the media make it clear that Amorim wants significant funds this summer to overhaul his underperforming squad.
Winning the Europa League would be able to bring in millions in fresh cash, as well as supplying the club with a trophy for the third season in a row.
However, with the club having been hit with a series of injuries, as Brown mentioned, with those such as Amad, Kobbie Mainoo, and Lisandro Martínez out, it’s unlikely Amorim will be able to play full-strength sides across both competitions.
With this in mind, Amorim is best off listening to Brown’s point about the Europa League stakes and make sure, more than anything, that United stay in and win the competition this season.
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