Following his appointment last month, Reuben Amorim is the latest Manchester United manager tasked with ending the club’s decade-long wait for a Premier League title.
The Red Devils have not finished top of the table since Sir Alex Ferguson’s last campaign in charge in 2012/13 – an unthinkable period of time given their success under the Scot.
Various managers such as David Moyes, José Mourinho and Louis van Gaal tried to fill the void at Old Trafford, winning several cup competitions but failing to secure the biggest trophy in English football.
Such responsibility now falls to the 39-year-old, but he will need time to get his ideas across to the first team if he is to be successful during his time in the North West.
There is no doubt that the side is full of stars, but he may wish that the hierarchy decided to keep many players who would help his efforts for success at the Theater of Dreams.
Manchester United summer 2024 departures
The summer transfer window has just gone Eric ten HaagHe was last in charge of United before being sacked at the end of October.
During one such spell, he offloaded a number of players, including academy graduate Scott McTominay, who ended his 22-year association with the club. joined Napoli for £25m.
The Scotland international wasted no time impressing in Serie A, scoring three times in his first 12 outings, possibly seeing his former employers regret their decision, having quality at both ends of the pitch – something Amorim could love.
Jadon Sancho is another forced out the door after the relationship between him and the Ten Hag became unbearable after a rift between the couple during the 2023/24 season.
He then joined Premier League rivals Chelsea borrower with purchase obligationrecording six goal contributions in his first 10 games for the Blues, following in McTominay’s footsteps and making the Red Devils regret their decision.
However, it was the permanent sale of a player that appeared to be the biggest blunder, with his ability undoubtedly making him ideal for Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.
The former United ace who has overtaken Amad in the Premier League
Ivory Star Amad Diallo he was one of the players to thrive in a new role under the new boss, switching from his attacking role to a more defensive full-back position.
However, it still is managed to score four assists in his four starts since the former Portugal international’s arrival but has failed to score, taking his Premier League tally for the season to just one.
Such a figure has been seen by the former United full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka he is overtaken after his summer move West Ham for just £15 million.
The 27-year-old has scored twice in his first 14 outings for Julen Lopetegui’s side, who are often the shining light of the Hammers team despite their dismal start to the ongoing season.
Wan-Bissaka, who was previously dubbed as “one of the best defensive right backs” by Mark Goldbridge, has flourished since his move, able to display his talents at both ends of the pitch with regular game time – something he wasn’t getting at United.
|
Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s West Ham Premier League Stats (2024/25) |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Account |
|
Games played |
14 |
|
Goals scored |
2 |
|
Pass accuracy |
83% |
|
Successful dribbles |
22 |
|
Tackle success rate |
73% |
|
Duels won |
62 |
|
Recoveries |
64 |
|
Statistics via FotMob |
|
The Red Devils paid 50 million pounds for his services in the summer of 2019, losing £35m on their mammoth investment, potentially going down as another player offloaded too early.
His goal tally from the current season has already seen him match his Old Trafford record by making it in 175 games lesslooking more like a threat going forward, which was often his biggest concern in Manchester.
His defensive quality, given his impressive tackle success rate, could have made him an excellent choice as part of Amorim’s back three, but alas, it’s another case of what could have been had the Englishman been kept.
However, their loss is West Ham’s gain, with Lopetegui now having an extremely talented player at his disposal following the Red Devils’ blunder in allowing him to leave.
