Sport

Does the loss at Grimsby represent the last straw for Ruben Amorim?

Every time Manchester United appear to have turned a corner after more than a decade of decay, something goes wrong. It has been a positive summer at Old Trafford with a new strikeforce in place, but Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko were all involved in what could be the defining game of Ruben Amorim’s era: a defeat on penalties to Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup.

Simply looking at recent club history will prove that Amorim is but a symptom of deep-rooted issues at the club. Other talented, reputable coaches have come and gone before him with similar results. He is far from a bad coach, in fact, he is a very good one, but seven wins from his last 29 league games is relegation form. His system is his identity, but 3-4-3 with wing-backs has never suited the squad he inherited creating a really difficult situation. United worked hard to prize Amorim from Sporting Club last season, and he had success with that system before; in many ways, investing in him is investing in the system. But at what point do results become so bad that the manner in which they improve doesn’t matter at all.

Even before Grimsby, Amorim was under pressure. He spoke last season about potentially resigning. Though the club’s supporters, knowing the blame for their ills lies in the boardroom, stand by him in the main as they did many of his predecessors, the current state of affairs doesn’t feel sustainable. An image of Amorim desperately looking to rescue the situation at Blundell Park with a tactics board went viral online much to the enjoyment of rival fans; as harsh as it is, becoming a meme rarely ends well.

There is an argument that sacking yet another manager only resets the same vicious cycle. Ultimately there is no clear way forward.

But one of the more disappointing facts of Amorim’s reign is how two academy graduates look to be out of the picture. Neither Alejandro Garnacho nor Kobbie Mainoo feature heavily in Amorim’s plans because they don’t directly thrive in his philosophy. While it is a bit more complex than that with Garnacho, who looks set to join Chelsea after a major fall out with Amorim, Mainoo has also reportedly asked to leave the club on loan before the transfer deadline in order to get more game time.

This is at one of the proudest clubs in the world when it comes to academy players. Not since 1937 has a squad been named without a youth product in it, and in dark times, Mainoo and Garnacho have been two of the best. They should be the bedrock of a successful club in the way Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs were under Sir Alex Ferguson. That isn’t to say they are of that level, but the wider point is talent has been afforded a chance to grow throughout the club’s history, and the pair of them represent a significant wasted opportunity.

Legitimate questions exist over Garnacho’s attitude, but Mainoo should be at the heart of what Amorim is doing. At 18, he genuinely looked like one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League and looked certain to become an England regular. His energy, passing range and intelligence makes him an ideal option for one of the two midfielders in Amorim’s system, but he isn’t getting enough chances and it is stagnating him when he should be flourishing.

There are so many reasons why Amorim should be given time to turn things around at Manchester United. His talent is undoubted, but he is struggling badly now and the prospect of losing two extremely exciting academy players as collateral damage makes keeping him a huge risk.