Sport

Is Ruben Amorim beginning to turn the tide at Manchester United?

Progress has been clear in Manchester United’s recent form. While the Old Trafford outfit aren’t exactly setting English football alight, their four-game unbeaten run is something for Ruben Amorim to cling to, as is the fact United have lost just one of their last seven matches in all competitions.

The two performances before the international break were the best produced with Amorim at the helm so far. First, there was the comprehensive 4-1 win over Real Sociedad to make the quarter-finals of the Europa League. This was then followed up by a comfortable 3-0 away victory against Leicester City.

While Amorim can feel positive about the way Manchester United are growing under his stewardship, his team is about to embark on a critical stretch of fixtures that will determine whether or not their progress is real. This run will start with a tricky away game against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night.

Forest have already beaten Manchester United this season having secured a 3-2 win at Old Trafford in December. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are clear in their identity and have attacking difference-makers who could decide a game at any given moment. They are, in some ways, the antithesis of United.

If Manchester United could leave the City Ground with at least a point, that would demonstrate their ability to compete against one of the best teams in the Premier League. After that, Amorim and his players will come up against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. The derby will be another tricky test.

Between now and the end of April, United will face Forest, City, Newcastle United and Bournemouth. The only league fixture not against a team in the top half of the Premier League table will see them take on Wolves who have already beaten The Red Devils once before this season. The Europa League tie against Lyon will also present a challenge.

“I’m really confident,” said Amorim ahead of this run of fixtures. “I feel that the players are more confident, the energy is different, but I also know that this could change with the results. So we are focused on maintaining the energy, we’ve worked on some things we have a lot to improve. Even winning the games, we can acknowledge that we have a lot to improve on.

“But we are in a different moment, we are more confident and ready for these final two months of the season. I don’t know in which place we are going to finish, but we are looking up and we want to win games. We still have matches to finish in a different position. We have more confidence, so we are looking up and we want to win games – that is our focus at the moment.”

Amorim’s players are buying into his methods. They are getting to grips with his favoured formation and approach with players like Bruno Fernandes, Patrick Dorgu, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee starting to produce something nearing their best form. January signing Ayden Heaven also made a good impression before suffering an injury against Leicester.

United still have a long way to go under Amorim. They are still incapable of producing for 90 minutes. The midfield is still vulnerable to speed and physicality. The attack is also lacking cohesion and dynamism with Amad Diallo still sidelined through injury. Manchester United have missed the Ivorian winger.

Nonetheless, Amorim is finally making his mark on the Old Trafford club after months of struggling for any sort of encouragement. The last two months have seen the Portuguese start to turn Manchester United around. By the end of April, though, we will have a better idea of just how far along the remoulding process United truly are.