Charlie Grace

Fri 29 August 2025 12:50, UK

Manchester United’s horrid start to the season slipped even further into the mire with their Carabao Cup loss to Grimsby Town in midweek.

United now welcome Burnley to Old Trafford as pressure mounts on Ruben Amorim ahead of the international break.

Some have questioned Amorim’s behaviour during the 12-11 penalty shootout loss against Grimsby that knocked United out of the Carabao Cup.

The Portuguese head coach’s post-match comments thrust further doubt around Amorim’s position at the club, with some questioning his commitment to the role.

The mood around United has soured in recent days with youth star Kobbie Mainoo requesting a move away from the club after falling out of favour with Amorim further angering fans.

Ruben Amorim facing increasing pressure

Following United’s horrendous start to the season Amorim’s tactic and man management are both under the microscope, as anything besides a comprehensive win against Burnley may spell the end of a dismal 10 months in charge.

Jamie O’Hara spoke passionately on Sky Sports News about Amorim: “They’ve got massive problems, the players aren’t performing and the manager is getting it wrong.

“The tactics are nowhere near good enough, he’s not getting the best out of the players, he’s been a disaster ever since he’s come in,” he continued.

“The penalties were a disgrace, what am I seeing here? [Amorim not watching the shootout] That’s one of the worst things i’ve ever seen from a Man United manager!

“I know he did a good job in Portugal but he’s out of his depth, miles out of his depth, they need to get rid of him and they need to get rid of him quick,” O’Hara said.

Later in the programme, O’Hara went on to say: “I would get rid of him [Amorim], there’s other managers out there who you can go and get, we’ve just seen Ole Gunnar Solskjaer get sacked.

“Ole Gunnar Solskjaer isn’t the worst option, he can come in and be a stop gap manager, and interim manager, and get the players back on side,” O’Hara went on.

Ruben Amorim can’t expect to live and die by his principles

Football Insider verdict

Amorim has come under increasing fire for his stubborn approach to not moving away from his 3-4-2-1 system that the 40-year-old is so wedded to.

While it’s understandable to an extent why a manager wouldn’t want to compromise on the principles that brought him to the club there has to be manoeuvrability within a system.

The best managers, from Jose Mourinho to Pep Guardiola have enabled themselves to adjust their principles between formations and groups of players, yet Amorim refuses to do so.

United have a squad capable of playing in a back three, and a slight tweak to drop an extra player into midfield would allow Bruno Fernandes to play in his more familiar advanced role while also providing more defensive solidity.

Compromises are available to Amorim, but he ay opt to live and die by the sword that got him hired at United in the first place instead.