Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has said that Ruben Amorim’s time as Manchester United manager so far has been a “disaster” and that it may be best for both parties to “just shake hands and move on.”
Amorim was appointed at United in November last year off the back of a successful spell as head coach of Sporting CP, but he has failed to turn fortunes around at Old Trafford since then, collecting just 34 Premier League points in his 33 games in charge at the club.
Carragher, who made over 700 appearances for Liverpool, has joined a host of former United players and pundits in suggesting time may be wearing thin for the Portuguese coach.
“This has been a disaster for Manchester United but also for Ruben Amorim,” Carragher said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
“What he did at Sporting Lisbon was fantastic. But bringing a manager like that in with the system he plays I don’t think ever suited a club like Manchester United with the traditions at Manchester United.
“We are just waiting for the inevitable, unfortunately, because you don’t want people to lose their jobs. But this [Amorim’s time in charge] has to end as quickly as possible.”
One of the most talked about aspects of Amorim’s time at United has been his favoured 3-4-3 system, with many suggesting it has been at the forefront of his side’s struggles but Carragher doesn’t believe the blame is solely on the coach for the playing style.
“I have never been a big one for saying he has to change his system. A lot of managers speak and say the system might change but my style does not. His baby is his system,” he said.
“It is like asking Jürgen Klopp not to press or Pep Guardiola not to play short passes through the middle of the pitch. This is what he is.
“This is on Omar Berrada [CEO] or Jason Wilcox [director of football ] or Jim Ratcliffe [shareholder]. They brought him in. They knew that when they brought him in.”
Despite his struggles at the back end of last season, Amorim was backed by the club in the summer window with over £200 million ($268m) of attacking talent brought into the club aswell as goalkeeper Senne Lammens on deadline day.
“The only positive for Manchester United is that they have not gone all in on his system,” Carragher said.
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“The players they have brought in could easily be flipped into a back four … And I think a competent Manchester United manager could get that team into the European places or certainly be fighting for them.
“It could not have gone any worse and I feel for him. But those results for a club of that stature are just beyond belief.”
“You don’t want to see anybody lose their job but I think it would just be better for everyone if they just shake hands and move on.”
