Manchester United players have voiced concerns amongst one another over the system that Ruben Amorim is attempting to instil at Old Trafford, according to reports. Amorim has endured a turbulent start to his reign after arriving from Sporting in the thick of a relentless winter fixture schedule in November, losing eight of his first 20 matches in charge.
Games have been less regular at the start of 2025, but there has been a lack of improvement in performances, sparking frustration among supporters.
United have won six of their last eight matches but narrowly snuck past Southampton, Rangers, Fulham and Leicester City during that run.
There is a widespread acknowledgement that Amorim needs time to recruit his own players after inheriting a Frankenstein’s Monster of a squad built by Erik ten Hag.
But he will find it increasingly more challenging to sell his philosophy the longer his side’s struggles continue before the end of the season.
And worry about meeting Amorim’s demands is reportedly already spreading throughout the United dressing room.
According to Mail Sport, some players have discussed whether the Portuguese tactician needs to tweak his desired playing style to get more from them.
It’s claimed there is growing concern among Amorim’s stars that the early problems they have faced won’t improve unless he agrees to soften his stubborn stance.
Amorim has publicly made it clear that he will stay true to the 3-4-2-1 system that he has used for the vast majority of his coaching career.
He stuck with his philosophy after a sticky start at Sporting before returning the Lisbon giants to the summit of Portuguese football.
However, inconsistent results, especially at Old Trafford, have intensified scrutiny and applied pressure on Amorim to stop sticking to his guns.
Gary Neville has been among the public sceptics about Amorim’s desired style, claiming he is at risk of losing the faith of the dressing room if there is no improvement.
“I thought it would get better when Ruben Amorim came in, the enthusiasm of him and the new system, the players would buy into, and we’d see a bounce, but we’ve seen the absolute opposite, and it’s got a lot worse,” Neville explained earlier this month.
“They [United] are obviously going to stick with Amorim. But the more you lose, the more difficult it is for the manager to convince the players of his idea.
“It will depress the thoughts of the players to a point whereby they’ll start to lose faith in the idea, and it’ll damage you.”
