Man Utd 'plumbed depths that should not be possible'
- Published
Manchester United have plumbed depths that should not be possible the way football's finances are arranged these days.
The fourth richest club in the world, according to Deloitte's 2025 rankings, have struggled - for the most part - to compete with well-run smaller rivals like Brentford,Bournemouth and Brighton, finished last season behind West Ham and were level on points with Wolves.
Ruben Amorim went into the summer promising this season would be better. It has been - to an extent - but is it right to measure a United manager against a 15th-place finish?
The spotlight, though, cannot just be on the coach.
United knew what they were getting into. Does Sir Jim Ratcliffe's "best in class" apply to Omar Berrada? Or Jason Wilcox, whose experience as a technical director was limited to 15 months at Southampton before he accepted the United job?
In going for Amorim and delivering their 'now or never' ultimatum, United's hierarchy must have known the squad being inherited did not fit the coach's style. They backed him to the tune of more than £200m in the summer and also signed off his decision to exile Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho.
Maybe there was unease at Amorim's method of dismissing Garnacho, which effectively reduced his value in a market the player himself cut to one by sticking to his desire to join Chelsea.
They also went with Amorim's desire to change his main striker, meaning £72m Rasmus Hojlund has joined Scott McTominay at Napoli, while Benjamin Sesko has scored two goals in 17 appearances following his £74m move from RB Leipzig.
Where they drew a line was Emiliano Martinez.
Amorim wanted Aston Villa's World Cup-winning goalkeeper. United's powerbrokers refused to sanction that, preferring to invest in the youth of Senne Lammens - on a much lower salary. Data analysis concurs with objective judgement Lammens has the capability to become of one Europe's best goalkeepers at some point - and United officials say they remain comfortable with their choice.
Instead, United prioritised their hefty investment towards the forward positions with a view to greater return on investment.
But heads are still scratched over the wisdom of selling McTominay, then spending far more on Uruguay international Manuel Ugarte, who played no role in the Europa League final Casemiro started.
Recruitment is a collective failing - and predates Amorim by a long way. The failed pursuit of Antoine Semenyo is proof United are no longer the draw they once were.
Amorim is yesterday's man now, just as David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick and Erik Ten Hag were before him.
The search for a successor is on. But it may take more than a new man at the helm, with a new formation, to sort out the problems at Manchester United.
