Ruben Amorim could soon learn that he requires more leaders in his Manchester United dressing room at the start of a long-term rebuild at Old Trafford. The Portuguese head coach has inherited a squad that has yet to face a shortage of criticism for its lack of strong characters in the face of adversity.
During the Erik ten Hag era, United made a habit of surrendering leads and collapsing at the slightest increase in pressure.
Red Devils legend Wayne Rooney is among the club’s former players who have called it out, which Amorim should heed as a warning.
“Firstly, I would say you need around five players in a dressing room that can lead a team,” Rooney told The Overlap in May.
“One thing I would say with Manchester United now is, I look at the team, and you’re still asking questions about who the leader is. I know Bruno is the captain, but who are the leaders there?
“I said this a few weeks ago when Marcus Rashford was getting stick for his body language. I think he’s always been like that. I don’t think he has ever been a big talker on the pitch.
“When he is going through a tough moment, or you want him to work a little bit harder, that is where the senior players have got to demand that from him.
“That’s the one thing I’d say that I don’t see. Every time Manchester United concede a goal, their heads go down too quickly, and you almost think there is no way they’re getting back into the game.”
It wasn’t the first time the Plymouth Argyle manager expressed his concerns about the lack of leadership in the Old Trafford dressing room since his exit.
Earlier in the year, he explained: “You can make bad decisions off the pitch, but you have to do is make the right ones on the pitch.
“The lads are not getting it right on the pitch or showing the character or leadership you need to be a Manchester United player.
“It’s society or a generational change in the last 10 years, as the players are not as robust as they once were. You have to get that balance right, and it’s so important.”
Amorim will already have a good idea of the profile of his players and what he will require when the transfer window opens in January and next summer.
But for now, he is undoubtedly relying on the experience of players like Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Matthijs de Ligt, and Marcus Rashford to act as the pillars of leadership among his ranks.
