"He is in a completely different situation" - David Moyes pinpoints what Ruben Amorim must fix first at Manchester United
Former Manchester United manager David Moyes pinpointed what Ruben Amorim must fix first when he joins the club. The Scotsman explained that the incoming Red Devils boss needed to address the work rate of his players before anything else.
A run of unfavorable performances and results blighted Manchester United's start to the 2024-25 season and resulted in Erin ten Hag's sacking. The Red Devils quickly moved to appoint Ruben Amorim as their new head coach, with the Portuguese expected to resume duty on November 11.
Speaking about the development, David Moyes, who managed the club between July 2013 and April 2014, reckoned that the former Sporting Lisbon coach was arriving at Old Trafford in a different situation than his.
“I have got to say he is in a completely different situation," he was quoted as saying by TBR Football. "I was very fortunate to take over the champions of England at the time. I was coming from a different [angle]. And probably coming into a dressing room which had great respect for Alex and what he had done.
“I think the players now might be looking at saying by the way if we don’t step up, the manager might be coming from a stronger position because these players are going to actually have to step up.
“It’s not always calling the players out but I see it where players are quite happy to hide behind managers at the moment and let the managers take the hit for it, when I could do with some of them coming out and saying I’m not at it at the moment. We are not getting much of that."
About what Ruben Amorim needed to fix first at Old Trafford, the Scotsman said:
"I actually think Man United have really talented players, but I think work-rate, that would be the first thing.”
During his one-year stint at Manchester United, David Moyes oversaw a total of 51 games, recording 26 wins, 10 draws and 15 defeats.
Ruben Amorim has a lot of work to do at Manchester United
Ruben Amorim arrives at Manchester United at a difficult time. The Premier League giants have endured a disappointing start to the 2024-25 season, with their performances and results leaving more questions than answers so far.
As it stands, the Red Devils are in the second half of the Premier League table, occupying the 13th position with 12 points. So far, they've won just three of their 10 fixtures in the English top flight, to go with three draws and four defeats.
This means that Amorim has a lot of work to do to get consistently good results and steady their sinking ship. The tactician will also be saddled with the responsibility of reviving misfiring players like Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho.